MEMOIR 


OF    THE 


REV.  WILLIAM  ROBINSON, 


FORMERLY  PASTOR  OF  THE  CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH 


SOUTHINGTON,    CONN. 


WITH   SOME    ACCOUNT  OK 


HIS  ANCESTORS  IN  THIS  COUNTRY 


BY    HIS    SON 


t 
EDWARD  ROBINSON, 


PROFESSOR  IN   UNION   THEOLOGICAL   SEMINARY,   NEW   YORK. 


PRINTED  AS  MANUSCRIPT,  FOR  PRIVATE  DISTRIBUTION. 


NEW  YORK : 

JOHN  F.  TROW,  PRINTER,  377  &  379  BROADWAY, 

CORNER      OF     WHITE     STREET. 

1859. 


PREFACE. 


IT  is  now  a  quarter  of  a  century,  since  I  began,  while 
residing  in  Boston,  to  make  some  inquiries  respecting  the 
ancestors  of  the  Eev.  John  Robinson  of  Duxbury,  my  great- 
grandfather. I  had  communication  at  the  time  with  the 
Rev.  Dr.  T.  M.  Harris,  Pastor  in  Dorchester,  distinguished  as 
an  archaeologist ;  but,  neither  with  his  aid  nor  in  any  other 
way,  was  I  able  to  bring  the  Minister  of  Duxbury  into  direct 
connection  with  either  of  the  families  of  the  name  in  Dorches- 
ter ;  from  which  town  it  was  known  that  he  originated. 

About  ten  years  later,  the  like  researches  were  again  taken 
up  ;  and  in  September,  1844,  I  visited  Plymouth  and  Dux- 
bury  partly  on  this  errand.  The  late  Nathanael  Morton 
Davis,  Esq.  of  Plymouth,  was  so  kind  as  to  accompany  me  to 
Duxbury.  We  visited  the  old  cemetery  and  the  graves  of 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Wiswall  and  Mary  Robinson  ;  but  found  no 
early  records  either  of  the  church  or  of  the  town.  We  were 
told,  that  all  the  church  records,  prior  to  about  1740,  had 
been  destroyed  by  fire.  Two  years  later,  Mr.  Davis  found 
a  volume  of  the  town  records,  covering  the  period  of  the  min- 
istry of  Mr.  Robinson  ;  and  sent  me  various  extracts  from  it, 
which  are  used  in  the  following  work.  At  the  same  time, 


2013211 


vi  PREFACE. 

compiled  but  at  the  expense  of  much  time  and  labour.  It  has 
been  prepared  in  constant  consultation  with  my  surviving 
brothers  and  sister  ;  and  we  offer  it,  as  a  filial  though  hum- 
ble tribute,  to  the  meujory  of  a  loved  and  venerated  parent. 

E.  B. 

YORK,  January,  1859. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

ANCESTORS  OF  THE  REV.  WILLIAM  ROBINSON. 

INTRODUCTION. — Earliest  ancestors  in  Dorchester,  Mass.  1.  Settlement  of  Dor- 
chester, 1.  Removal  of  the  church  to  Windsor,  Conn.  1,  2.  Rev.  Richard  Mather 
and  church  in  Dorchester,  2.  Date  of  covenant,  etc.  2,  3. 

I.  WILLIAM  ROBINSON  OF  DORCHESTER. 

His  name  first  found  as  appended  later  to  the  church  covenant,  3.  Notices,  3,  4. 
Owner  of  a  tide-mill,  4.  Where  situated,  4,  5.  He  is  killed  in  the  said  mill,  5,  6. 
His  family,  6,  7.  His  will,  7,  8. 

II.  SAMUEL  ROBINSON  OF  DORCHESTER. 

Son  of  William ;  notices,  9.  His  children,  9.  His  estate ;  no  will  or  settle- 
ment yet  found,  10. 

SAMUEL  ROBINSON  JR.  son  of  Samuel ;  notices,  10.  His  epitaph,  10.  His 
descendants  ;  male  line  extinct,  11. 

III.  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON  OF  DUXBURY. 

Second  son  of  Samuel  Robinson ;  proof,  1 1.  Notices,  12.  Goes  as  missionary 
to  Pennsylvania,  12.  Recommendation  of  Boston  ministers,  12.  Joins  the  church 
in  Dorchester,  12,  13.  Receives  a  call  to  Duxbury,  13. 

DUXBURY  and  its  early  ministers,  13.  REV.  ICHABOD  WISWALL,  13.  The 
Wiswall  family,  14,  15.  Notices,  15.  Marries  Priscilla  Pabodie,  grand-daugh- 
ter of  John  Alden  and  Priscilla  Mullins,  16. — JOHN  ALDEN,  16.  PRISCILLA 
MDLLINS,  17.  Their  children,  17.  Elisabeth  Pabodie,  17,  18. — Family  record  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Wiswall,  18.  His  ministry,  19.  Letter  to  Gov.  Hinckley,  19.  His 
salary  increased,  19.  Goes  !q  England,  20.  Is  agent  there  for  Plymouth  colony, 
20.  The  town  grants  him  .luhd,  21.  His  death  and  epitaph,  21.  His  character, 
22.  Peleg  Wiswall  his  son,  22.  Receives  a  grant  from  Massachusetts  for  his 
father's  services,  22.  Reflections,  22,  23. 


viii  CONTEXTS. 

Delay  in  the  settlement  of  MB.  ROBINSON,  23.  Votes  of  the  town,  23,  24.  He 
transfers  his  church  relations  to  Duxbury,  24.  His  ordination,  24.  Marries  Han- 
nah Wiswall,  24.  His  family  record,  25.  Names  compared,  25.  Death  of  Mrs. 
Robinson  and  her  daughter  Mary  by  drowning,  26.  Mary's  epitaph,  26.  The 
body  of  the  mother  found  on  Cape  Cod,  and  there  buried,  26,  27.  Recent  disap- 
pearance of  her  monument,  27.  Her  husband's  record,  27.  Elegy  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Pitcher,  28,  29.  Tradition,  29. — Ministry  and  character  of  Mr.  Robinson,  30  sq- 
His  library,  30.  His  preaching,  30.  His  eccentricity  ;  anecdotes,  31-33.  Better 
side  of  his  character,  34.  Pecuniary  difficulties  with  his  people,  34.  His  salary  in 
arrears ;  votes  of  the  town,  34,  35.  His  proposed  dismissal ;  rotes  and  answer, 
35,  36.  Protest  of  the  minority,  37.  Further  proceedings;  violence,  37-39. 
Mutual  council  called ;  its  proceedings,  39.  Result,  dismissing  and  recommending 
Mr.  Robinson,  39,  40.  His  last  receipt,  40.  Situation  of  his  family,  40.  Removes 
to  Lebanon,  41.  His  property,  41.  His  general  character,  42.  Gives  up  his 
real  estate  to  his  two  sons,  42.  His  death  and  epitaph,  42,  43.  Obituary  notice 
in  the  Boston  Weekly  Messenger,  43.  His  will,  44,  45.  Inventory,  45. 

DESCENDANTS  of  Rev.  John  Robinson,  46-49. 

TV.  ICHABOD  ROBINSON  OF  LEBANON. 

Birth  and  notices,  40.  Exchanges  his  homestead,  50.  A  respected  merchant, 
50.  Is  Clerk  of  Probate,  50.  Twice  married,  50,  51.  His  family  record,  51-53. 
His  business,  53.  His  general  character,  53.  Aunt  Xabby  Hyde,  54.  Difficulty 
with  the  Trumbull  family,  54.  Anecdotes,  54,  55.  His  library,  55.  His  later 
years,  55,  56.  His  death,  56.  His  will,  56.  Letter  of  Prof.  Silliman,  56.  Letter 
of  Hon.  Joseph  Trumbull,  57. 

DESCENDANTS  of  Ichabod  Robinson,  59. 

SUPPLEMENTARY  NOTE. 

Was  the  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON  OF  DUXBURY  descended  from  the  REV.  JOHN 
ROBINSON  OF  LEYDEN  ?  60-63. 


PART  II. 

MEMOIR  OF  THE  REV.  WILLIAM  ROBINSOX. 

SECTION  I. 

His  BIRTH  AND  EDUCATION.     1754-1780. 
Pages  65-75. 

His  birth,  65.  Scanty  materials  for  his  biog/.aphy,  65.  His  mother,  66. 
Grammar  School  in  Lebanon,  66.  Master  Tisdaley.G6.  n.  Enters  Yale  College  as 
Sophomore,  67.  Classmates,  67.  His  tutors,  67.  His  accounts  in  college ;  books, 
67,  68.  Habits  of  study,  68.  Prize  for  declamation,  68.  His  friend  Ezra  Samp- 


CONTENTS.  ix 

son,  68.  The  two  are  leading  scholars,  69.  No  valedictory,  69.  Berkeley  Schol- 
arship ;  conditions,  69,  70.  The  two  friends  elected  Scholars  of  the  House,  70. 
Commencement  in  1773  ;  report,  70,  71.  Mr.  Robinson  teaches  school  at  Wind- 
sor, 71. 

He  returns  to  Yale  College  as  resident  Scholar,  72.  His  receipt  for  the 
Berkeley  donation,  72.  Enters  upon  the  study  of  theology,  72.  His  associates, 
Dwight  and  Buckminster,  72.  Unites  with  the  college  church,  72.  Private  cove- 
nant, 72.  Is  licensed  to  preach,  72.  Takes  his  second  degree,  73.  Occupies 
himself  in  study  and  preaching,  73.  Is  invited  to  preach  as  a  candidate  at  North- 
ampton, 73.  Rev.  Dr.  Stiles  becomes  President  of  Yale  College,  74.  Mr.  Robin- 
son as  Tutor,  74.  He  preaches  in  the  adjacent  towns,  74,  75.  His  acquaintance 
with  Dr.  Bellamy  ;  veneration  for  him,  75.  Anecdotes  of  Dr.  Bellamy,  75. 

SECTION  II. 

His  SETTLEMENT  IN  SOCTHINGTON.     1780. 
Pages  76-92. 

SOUTHINGTON  ;  its  situation,  76.  First  settlement ;  early  family  names,  76,  7  7. 
Imperfect  records,  77.  Was  part  of  Farmington,  77.  Asks  to  be  set  off  as  a  society  ; 
votes,  77,  78.  Petition  to  the  General  Assembly,  78,  79.  Petition  granted,  79. 
Petition  for  leave  to  lay  a  tax,  79.  The  Society  small  and  feeble,  80.  The  first 
meeting-house,  80.  Earliest  preacher  and  settlers,  80.  Reflections,  80. — Incon- 
venience of  worshipping  at  Farmington,  81.  Rev.  Mr.  Curtiss  the  first  Pastor; 
notices,  81.  His  epitaph,  81.  Rev.  Mr.  Chapman  ;  notices  and  epitaph,  82. 
State  of  the  church  during  their  ministry,  82.  Graduates  at  college,  83. — The 
town  agricultural  and  poor,  83.  The  name  Panthorn,  83.  Meeting-houses,  84. 
The  town  incorporated ;  its  boundaries,  84. 

Mr.  Robinson's  first  preaching  at  Southington,  84.  His  call ;  votes  of  the  soci- 
ety, 84,  85.  Action  of  the  church,  85.  Mr.  Robinson's  letter  of  acceptance,  86,  87. 
Preparations  for  his  ordination,  87.  Articles  of  faith,  88.  Ordaining  council ; 
letters  missive,  88,  89.  Hard  winter  and  heavy  snow,  89.  Difficulty  of  travelling  ; 
the  ordination  delayed,  89.  Dr.  Stiles'  record  of  the  council  and  ordination,  he 
being  the  preacher,  89-91.  Reflections,  91,  92. 

SECTION  III. 

FIRST  HALF  OF  HIS  MINISTRY.     1780-1800. 
Pages  93-112. 

Few  records,  93.  Mr.  Robinson  boards  in  the  family  of  Deac.  T.  Clark,  93. 
Marries  Naomi  Wolcott,  93.  Sets  up  housekeeping  in  a  hired  house,  94.  Difficul- 
ties of  the  times ;  economy,  94.  Depreciation  of  money,  94.  Mercy,  a  coloured 
domestic,  and  her  son  Peter,  94,  95.  Illness  and  death  of  his  sister  Mary,  95. 
Birth  of  first  child,  95.  March  of  the  French  army  through  Southington,  95,  96. 
Stragglers,  96.  Small-pox,  inoculation,  private  hospitals,  96.  Mrs.  Robinson 
inoculated ;  her  death,  96.  Letter  of  Mr.  Robinson  to  his  father,  96-98.  Her 


x  CONTENTS. 

character  and  epitaph,  98.  Mr.  Robinson  turns  his  attention  to  agriculture,  99. 
Purchases  a  house  and  homestead,  99.  His  neighbours,  99.  Means  of  pay- 
ment, 99.  Farming  operations,  100.  His  diligence  as  Pastor,  100. — He  marries 
Sophia  Mosely,  100.  Her  only  child  William,  100,  101.  Her  death  and  epitaph, 
100,  101. 

Complaints  of  parishioners  ;  Mr.  Robinson's  proposal,  101.  Prepares  students 
for  college,  101. — He  marries  Anne  Mills,  102.  Grows  in  reputation,  102.  In- 
cluded in  Dr.  Stiles'  enumeration  of  New  School  divines,  102.  Dr.  Stiles'  judg- 
ment of  the  New  Divinity  men,  102,  103.  His  prediction  as  to  the  writings  of 
Pres.  Edwards,  103. — Further  purchase  of  land,  104.  Birth  of  eldest  daughter, 
104.  Illness  and  death  of  Mrs.  Robinson ;  her  character  and  epitaph,  104. — 
Theological  students  ;  Asahel  Hooker,  105.  Farming  operations  successful ;  more 
land  purchased,  105.  Dr.  Stiles'  account  of  Mr.  Robinson's  farming,  105  ;  and  of 
"  Wealthy  Ministers  in  Connecticut,"  105,  106. 

Mr.  Robinson  marries  Elisabeth  Norton ;  notices,  106.  Further  purchases  of 
land,  and  a  mill,  106,  107.  Miss  Clara  enters  the  family  as  a  domestic,  and  re- 
mains till  death,  107.  Her  character  and  epitaph,  107. — New  contract  with  the 
society,  108.  Widely  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  108.  Drawn  off  from  the 
full  cultivation  of  his  powers,  108.  Want  of  literary  society,  108,  109.  Gradu- 
ates at  college  from  Southington,  109. — State  and  increase  of  the  church,  109. 
Question  as  to  the  "  Half-way  covenant,"  109,  110.  Decision  of  the  church,  110. 

Testimony  to  the  character  of  Mr.  Robinson  at  the  close  of  this  period,  110. 
From  the  Rev.  Dr.  Porter,  afterwards  of  Andover,  111.  From  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Spring,  of  New  York,  111.  Reflections,  112. 

SECTION  IV. 

LATTER  HALF  OF  ins  MINISTRY.     1800-1821. 
Pages  113-138. 

General  activity,  113.  Farming  operations  more  systematized,  113.  Lets  out 
cows  to  Goshen,  113.  Family  dairy,  114.  Wool  and  flax  manufactured  at  home, 
114.  Hired  labourers,  114.  His  sons  brought  up  to  labour,  114.  Visits  his 
labourers  in  the  field  daily,  114.  Sometimes  aids  in  their  labours,  114.  His  plans 
all  practical,  114,  115.  Introduces  rotation  of  crops;  clover,  115.  Great  crop  of 
rye,  115.  Indian  corn  ;  plaster  of  Paris,  115.  Anecdote,  115,  116.  Manufac- 
ture of  tin  ware  in  Southington;  tin  pedlars,  116.  Other  manufactures,  116. 
Unfavourable  influences,  116.  Mr.  Robinson's  efforts,  117.  He  encouragss  agri- 
culture in  various  ways,  117.  Is  ever  ready  to  aid  othsrs,  117,  118.  Is  sometimes 
disappointed;  losses,  118. 

His  duties  as  pastor  regularly  fulfilled,  118.  His  preaching  and  visiting,  118. 
Regular  attendance  of  the  congregation,  118,  119.  Complaints  of  some,  119. 
Committee  appointed,  119.  Mr.  Robinson's  answer  and  offer  ;  the  matter  drop- 
ped, 119.  Journey  to  the  Whitestown  country,  119,  120.  Journey  up  the  valley 
of  Connecticut  river,  120. — Death  of  his  eldest  son,  William  ;  notices,  120.  His 
epitaph,  121.  Spotted  fever  in  Southington,  121.  Sale  of  half  his  mill,  122. 

Reminiscences  of  Southington,  122-126.     The  first  and  second  meeting-houses, 


CONTENTS.  xi 

122-123.  Associations,  123.  Sabba'day  houses,  123.  The  deacons,  124.  The 
aged  men,  124. — Physicians,  124,  125.  Lawyers,  125.  Merchants,  125.  Other 
leading  men,  126. 

Marriage  of  Mr.  Robinson's  eldest  daughter,  126.  She  removes  to  Catskill ; 
notices,  126.  Her  father's  first  visit,  126.  Ezra  Sampson  in  Hudson,  126,  127. 
His  letter  to  Mr.  Robinson,  127,  128.  Their  last  interview,  128. 

Infirmities  of  Mr.  Robinson,  128.  Habits  and  symptoms,  128.  His  labours 
and  success,  as  pastor,  increase,  128,  129.  Letter  to  the  church  and  society,  ask- 
ing for  a  colleague,  129.  The  church  vote  unanimously  to  comply,  130.  The 
society  decline  the  request,  130.  Reflections,  131.  Mr.  Robinson  continues  to 
preach,  131.  Subsequent  vote  of  the  society,  131.  Mr.  Robinson's  reply,  132. 
Society  votes  to  call  a  mutual  council  for  his  dismissal,  132.  No  record  of  the 
causes  or  conditions,  132,  133.  Further  information,  133,  134.  The  action  of 
the  society  thus  far  ex  parte ;  Mr.  Robinson's  letter  to  the  church,  134.  The 
church  consents  to  a  council,  135.  Record  of  the  council  and  its  proceedings, 
135,  136.  Public  services  of  dismission,  137.  Notices,  137.  Unanimity  and  at- 
tachment of  the  church,  137. — History  and  increase  of  the  church  during  this 
period,  137.  Large  additions,  137,  138. 


SECTION  V. 

His  LAST  YEARS,  DEATH,  AND  CHARACTER.     1821-1825. 
Pages  139-157. 

Plans ;  relief  from  cares,  139.  Pleasant  relations  with  his  successor,  139. 
Habits ;  reading,  139,  140.  His  infirmities  increase,  140.  His  last  domestic 
affliction;  illness  and  death  of  his  wife,  140-142.  Her  character,  142.  Her 
epitaph,  142. — Mr.  Robinson  continues  to  decline,  143.  Brief  convalescence,  143. 
He  overtasks  himself;  a  relapse,  143,  144.  Disease  and  lethargy,  144.  His 
death,  144.  Funeral,  145.  His  epitaph,  145. 

CHARACTER.  His  person,  145.  Habit  of  early  rising,  146.  Habits  of  busi- 
ness, 146.  Minor  cares,  146.  Diligent  supervision,  147.  Fixed  habits ;  a  man 
of  home,  147.  His  sound  judgment,  147.  Political  views,  148.  Mr.  Gallatin, 
148.  His  hospitality,  149.  Dr.  Dwight,  149,  150.  Anecdotes,  150.— As  a  PAS- 
TOR; his  interest  in  Common  Schools,  151.  His  parochial  visits,  151.  His  inter- 
est in  missions,  152. — As  a  PREACHER  ;  doctrinal,  etc.  152.  Familiar  with  the 
Bible,  152.  Appearance  and  manner  in  the  pulpit,  153.  Effect  of  his  preaching, 
153,  154.  His  discourses  perhaps  too  exclusively  doctrinal,  154.  Encourages 
his  people  to  discuss  doctrinal  topics  with  him,  154.  Parallel  between  city  and 
country  hearers,  154. — As  a  THEOLOGIAN  ;  his  characteristics,  154,  155,  His 
library,  155. — PERSONAL  ADDRESS,  155.  Retiring  and  unostentatious,  155.  This 
shrinking  nature  weighed  him  down,  156.  Remembrances  of  his  children,  156. 
His  estate,  156,  157. 


xii  CONTEXTS. 

SECTION  VI. 

LETTERS  ON  THE  CHARACTER  OF  MR.  ROBINSON. 
Pages  158-185. 

Introductory  remarks,  158. 

I.  LETTERS  FROM  MEMBERS  OF  HIS  CONGREGATION. — From  Rev.  Fosdic  Harri- 
son, 159-165. — From   Julius   S.  Barnes   M.  D.    165-167. — From  Romeo  Lowrey, 
Esq.  167-171. 

II.  LETTERS  FROM  ms  SUCCESSORS  IN  THE  MINISTRY. — From  the  Rev.  David 
L.  Ogden,  171-173.— From  the  Rev.  Elisha  C.  Jones,  173,  174. 

III.  LETTERS  FROM  MEMBERS  OF  HARTFORD  SOUTH  ASSOCIATION. — From  the 
Rev.  Royal  Robbins,  175-177.     From  the  Rev.  Joab  Brace  D.  D.  177-181. 

IV.  LETTERS  FROM  OTHER  CLERGYMEN. — From  the  Rev.  Noah  Porter  D.  D. 
181-183.— From  the  Rev.  Heman  Humphrey  D.  D.  184,  185. 

SECTION  VII. 

CHILDREN  OF  REV.  WILLIAM  ROBINSON,  AND  THEIR  DESCENDANTS. 
Pages  186-190. 

Their  names,  etc.  186-189. 

SUPPLEMENTARY  NOTE. — Their  relation   to  early  ancestors   in  New  England, 
189-190. 


APPENDIX. 

A.  LETTER  FROM  THE  HON.  JAMES  SAVAGE,  LL.  D.  -         191,  192 

B.  MONUMENT  OF  MRS.  HANNAH  ROBINSON,  AT  PROVING  ETOWN.     ITS 

DISAPPEARANCE,           _____  192-195 

C.  YALE  COLLEGE. — THE  VALEDICTORY.  THE  BERKELEY  SCHOLAESHIP,  196,  197 

D.  THE  WOLCOTT  FAMILY,                           -  197-199 

E.  THE  MOSELY  FAMILY,                         -  200,201 

F.  THE  MILLS  FAMILY,       -                                       -  201-204 

G.  WEALTHY  MINISTERS  PN  CONNECTICUT,          -            -  205 
H.     THE  NORTON  FAMILY,                -  206-211 
K.     THE  STRONG  AND  HOOKER  FAMILIES,             -  211-214 

I.  The  Strong  Family,                  -                           -  211-213 

II.  The  Hooker  Family,          -            -             -  213, 214 


PART  I. 

ANCESTORS    OF    THE   REV.   WILLIAM    ROBINSON. 


INTRODUCTION. 

THE  earliest  ancestors  of  the  Eev.  William  Robinson,  in 
this  country,  were  residents  of  the  town  of  Dorchester,  Mass. 
but  were  not  among  its  original  settlers.  The  first  settlement 
of  that  town  took  place  in  A.  D.  1630,  by  a  company  which 
assembled  at  Plymouth  in  Devonshire,  England,  from  that 
and  the  adjacent  counties.  Before  embarking  they  were  con- 
stituted as  a  church,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Maverick  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Warham  (or  Wareham),  who 
both  accompanied  them  to  the  New  World.  Dorchester  was 
thus  the  earliest  organized  community  in  the  colony  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 

In  A.  D.  1635,  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Dorchester  be- 
came desirous  of  removing  to  the  banks  of  the  Connecticut 
river  ;  and  during  the  summer  several  of  them  visited  the 
tract  around  Windsor,  Conn.  In  November  of  that  year  a 
large  company,  with  their  flocks  and  herds,  proceeded  thither 
through  the  forest,  enduring  great  hardships  on  the  way,  and 
1 


2  ANCESTORS.  [PArtx  I. 

losing  a  large  portion  of  their  cattle.  In  the  spring  of  1636, 
they  were  followed  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Warham  and  other  set- 
tlers ;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Maverick  having  died  at  Boston  the  pre- 
ceding winter.  In  this  way  the  main  body  of  the  church  at 
Dorchester,  with  their  surviving  pastor,  emigrated  to  Wind- 
sor, taking  with  them  the  church  records.  Thus  the  church 
organization  at  Dorchester  was  entirely  broken  up. 

In  August,  1635,  there  arrived  at  Boston  a  company  of 
about  a  hundred  emigrants,  who  had  embarked  at  Bristol  in 
England.  With  them  was  the  Rev.  Richard  Mather,  the 
father  of  Increase  and  grandfather  of  Cotton  Mather.  Other 
companies  of  emigrants  came  over  about  the  same  time,  either 
in  that  or  the  following  year.  Many  of  these  emigrants  settled 
down  in  Dorchester,  and  purchased  the  lands  left  vacant  by 
the  former  residents.  Mr.  Mather  was  invited  to  the  work  of 
the  ministry  in  Plymouth,  in  Roxbury,  and  in  Dorchester. 
By  the  advice  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cotton  and  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Hooker,  he  chose  the  latter  place.  A  partial  attempt  was 
made  to  form  another  church  in  April,  1636  ;  but  it  was  not 
then  successful;  and  the  church  was  not  organized  until  the 
following  August.  The  covenant  bears  date  Aug.  23d,  1636,* 
and  was  signed  by  Richard  Mather  and  six  others.  Mr.  Mather 
continued  to  be  their  pastor  until  his  death,  in  April,  1669. 

Those  members  of  the  former  church,  who  did  not  remove 
to  Windsor,  did  not  all  become  members  of  the  new  organiza- 
tion. The  name  of  Roger  Clap,  for  example,  is  not  found  in 
the  records  of  Mr.  Mather's  church. 

The  covenant  drawn  up  (probably)  by  Mr.  Mather,  forms 
the  introduction  to  the  early  book  of  records  of  the  present 


*  This  date,  and  all  others  in  the  following  family  records,  before  A.  D.  1752, 
are  of  course  Old  Style.  Up  to  that  time,  the  year  in  the  English  mode  of  reckoa- 
ing  began  with  the  25th  day  of  March ;  and  March  was  regarded  as  the  first 
month,  April  as  the  second,  etc.  The  time,  however,  between  January  1st  and 
March  25th,  which  in  the  Old  Style  belonged  to  the  old  year,  and  in  the  New 
Style  to  the  new  year,  was  for  a  century  or  more  before  1752,  as  a  matter  of  con- 
venience, marked  with  both  years;  thus,  Feb.  14,  168f,  or  1686-7.  By  act  of 
Parliament  the  3d  of  Sept.  1752,  was  ordered  to  be  called  Sept.  14th,  thus  drop- 
ping eleven  days. 


PART  I.]  WILLIAM  ROBINSON.  3 

first  church  in  Dorchester.  It  is  followed  by  a  list  of  "  the 
names  of  such  as,  since  the  constituting  or  gathering  of  the 
church  at  Dorchester,  have  been  added  to  that  church,  and 
joined  themselves  as  members  of  the  same  body."  This  list 
contains  no  dates  ;  but  as  no  other  admissions  are  recorded 
until  4th  9th  mo.  (Nov.  4,)  1639,  the  list  must  cover  an  inter- 
val of  more  than  three  years.* 


I. 

WILLIAM  ROBINSON  OF  DORCHESTER. 

In  the  list  above  described  is  found  the  name  of  WILLIAM 
ROBINSON,  the  earliest  ancestor  of  the  family  in  this  country. 
He  was  of  course  not  one  of  the  original  founders  of  the 
church.  From  the  position  of  his  name,  however,  near  the 
beginning  of  the  said  list,  it  is  probable  that  he  had  joined 
the  church  in  1636,  or  early  in  1637,  not  many  months  after 
its  organization.f  Of  his  antecedent  history  not  a  trace  has 
yet  been  found  ;  but  the  circumstances  just  narrated  naturally 
suggest  the  hypothesis,  that  he  came  over  from  England,  either 
in  the  company  led  by  Mr.  Mather,  or  in  some  one  of  tho 
other  companies  which  arrived  in  1635  and  1636. 

William  Robinson  is  said  to  have  gone  to  England  in 
1644,  and  returned  the  following  year.  His  name  stands 
enrolled  in  the  artillery  company  of  Boston,  now  known  as 
"  the  Ancient  and  Honorable."  J  He  appears  first  as  a  grantee 
of  land  in  1656.  He  also  bought  the  tide-mill,  now  known 

*  The  preceding  facts  are  matters  of  general  history.  I  have  used  mainly  the 
History  of  the  Town  of  Dorchester,  Boston,  1851,  etc.;  Memoirs  of  Roger  Clap, 
Boston,  1844 ;  Journal  and  Life  of  Richard  Mather,  Boston,  1850.  The  last  two 
tracts  constitute  Nos.  1  and  3  of  "  Collections  of  the  Dorchester  Antiquarian  and 
Historical  Society."  What  is  here  or  elsewhere  said  of  the  Dorchester  Churoh 
Records,  rests  on  personal  examination. 

f  He  is  sometimes  reported  as  having  become  a  freeman  of  Dorchester  in  1636, 
which  would  also  imply  church  membership ;  Hist,  of  Dor.  p.  132.  But  no  record 
haa  yet  been  adduced  to  sustain  this  report,  though  it  is  not  unlikely  to  be  true. 

|  History  of  the  Ancient  and  Hon.  Artillery  Company,  p.  133. 


4  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

as  Tileston's  mill,  of  Edward  Breck.*  He  was  chosen  rater 
(or  assessor)  of  Dorchester,  iu  1658,  1660,  and  1661,  and  was 
constable  in  1659  ;  but  seems  to  have  attained  to  no  higher 
office.^ 

As  this  tide-mill  is  an  important  item  in  connection  with 
the  life  and  tragical  death  of  Mr.  Robinson,  I  insert  here  some 
passages  of  letters  received  from,  the  late  Dr.  T.  W.  Harris, 
professor  and  librarian  in  Harvard  University,  dated  March 
28th,  April  6th,  and  May  30th,  1855,  the  year  of  his  own  de- 
cease. They  throw  light  upon  this  portion  of  the  antiquities 
of  Dorchester. 

"  We  know  that  he  [William  Robinson]  owned  a  '  corn 
tide-mill'  in  Dorchester  ;  half  of  which,  with  a  small  house, 
he  sold  to  one  Tileston.  Said  mill  is  extant  in  Dorchester  to 
this  day  ;  and  is  known  still  as  Tileston's  mill.  Many  a  grist 
of  corn  I  have  carried  on  horseback  to  that  mill,  to  be  ground, 
when  I  was  a  boy,  and  was  put  upon  the  horse,  with  the  bag 
duly  balanced  for  my  seat."  | 

"  The  extract  in  my  memorandum  book  from  the  deed  of 
Robinson  to  Tileston,  though  very  short,  sufficiently  identifies 
the  spot,  when  taken  in  connection  with  other  well-known 
facts.  It  is  this  :  '  Oct  7,  1664,  William  Robinson  of  Dor- 
chester, husbandman,  and  Margaret  his  wife,  consideration 
£96,  sell  to  Timothy  Tileston  of  Dorchester,  cooper,  a  house 
and  ten  acres  of  land  in  Dorchester,  bounded  by  Tide-mill 
Creeke  ;  and  half  a  corn  water-mill  standing  on  the  tide  in 
the  creeke,  commonly  called  Salt  Creeke  or  Brooke,  near  Cap- 
taine's  Neck.  Witnessed  by  Timothy  Ffoster,  Thomas  Tile- 
ston, and  John  Minot.'  § 

"  Now  we  know,  that  Tileston's  mill,  so  called  for  many 
years,  was  a  tide-mill  built  on  a  dam  crossing  a  saltwater 
creek  ;  into  the  upper  end  of  which  creek  flowed  a  brook, 

*  These  circumstances  are  taken  from  the  History  of  Dorchester,  pp  132,  133 ; 
but  the  authority  for  the  first  and  last  is  not  there  given. 

S  Blake's  Annals  of  Dorchester,  Boston,  1846. 
MS.  Letter  of  March  28,  1855. 
Suffolk  Deeds,  Book  VI.  p.  1. 


PART  I.]  WILLIAM  ROBINSON.  5 

probably  once  a  considerable  stream.  Said  mill  was  situated 
midway  between  Commercial  Point  (which  we  believe  is  what 
was  -formerly  Captaine's  Neck)  and  Harrison  Square  ;  and  the 
road  from  the  latter  to  the  former  passes  over  what  was  the 
dam  across  said  creek.  In  a  former  letter  I  made  mention  of 
going  to  mill  on  horseback  when  a  little  boy,  and  carrying  my 
corn  to  what  was  then  Tileston's  tide-mill,  being  the  only 
grist  mill  in  the  easterly  part  of  Dorchester  at  that  time.  It 
is  my  belief  that  this  was  the  identical  site  of  William  Robin- 
son's '  corn  water-mill/  on  Tide-mill  Creeke  or  Brooke  ;  and 
that  the  Mr.  Tileston,  who  owned  it  in  my  day,  was  the  lineal 
descendant  of  the  Timothy  Tilston  or  Tileston,  to  whom 
William  Robinson  sold  the  half  of  it  in  1664.* 

"  The  Old  Colony  railroad  [coming  from  Plymouth],  after 
crossing  Neponset  river  into  Dorchester,  passes  through  a  part 
of  Harrison  Square,  and  of  course  very  near  to  the  site  of 
Tileston's  mill,  say,  within  less  than  one-eighth  of  a  mile  of  it. 

"  The  earliest  corn-mill  or  grist  mill  in  Dorchester  was 
also  on  Neponset  river,  near 'what  is  now  Milton  bridge.  It 
was  owned  by  Israel  Stoughton,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the 
first  corn-mill  in  the  colony.  William  Robinson's  tide-mill 
was  the  next  corn-mill  in  Dorchester  ;  and  these  two  seem  to 
have  been  the  only  ones  for  many  years."  f 

In  this  mill  Mr.  Robinson  perished  by  a  sudden  and 
violent  death,  July  6th,  1668.  Singularly  enough,  no  men- 
tion of  his  decease  is  found  in  any  of  the  Dorchester  records  ; 
nor  does  any  memorial  mark  the  place  of  his  grave  ;  but  a 
brief  note  of  the  sad  event  was  jotted  down  in  the  church 
records  of  Roxbury,  by  the  Rev.  John  Eliot,  then  pastor  of 
that  church.  For  this  entry,  which  has  never  been  pub- 

*  "  The  old  mill  which  William  Robinson  bought  of  Edward  Breck,  and  in 
which  he  lost  his  life,  is  still  standing,  probably  most  of  it  renewed ;  and  is  in  the 
hands  of  the  Tilestons  to  this  day."  MS.  Letter  of  E.  Clapp  jr.  Sept.  22,  1856. 

f  MS.  Letter,  May  30th,  1855.  See  also  Hist,  of  Dorchester,  pp.  33,  34,  83. 
I  visited  the  old  tide-mill  in  July,  1857.  It  is  a  short  distance  south-east  of  Har- 
rison Square,  on  the  dam  or  causeway,  which  now  forms  part  of  Mill  Street  in 
Dorchester.  The  mill  has  obviously  been  renewed,  perhaps  more  than  once  ;  but 
is  still  known  as  Tileston's  mill. 


6  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

lished,  I  am  likewise  indebted  to  Dr.  Harris.  "The  words 
are  these,  in  the  handwriting  of  the  Rev.  John  Eliot,  on 
one  of  the  leaves  of  Roxbury  church  records,  containing  sun- 
dry remarkables  noted  by  the  apostle  of  the  Indians  :  '  6.5. 
1668,  [July  6,  1668,]  Robinson,  a  brother  of  the  church  at 
Dorchester,  was  drawn  through  by  the  cog-wheel  of  his  mill, 
and  was  torn  in  pieces  and  slain.'"*  That  William  Robinson 
was  the  person  here  referred  to,  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  he 
was  the  owner  of  a  corn  water-mill  in  Dorchester  ;  and  also 
by  the  date  of  the  probate  of  his  will,  which  is  given  below. 

Mr.  Robinson  appears  to  have  been  married  three  times. 
His  first  wife,  who  seems  to  have  been  the  mother  of  his  four 
children,  was  named  Prudence,  as  appears  from  his  will  ;  his 
daughter  (or  more  probably  grand-daughter)  Prudence  being 
there  said,  "  to  bear  his  wife's  name,"  The  second  wife,  Mar- 
garet, signed  with  her  husband,  in  1664,  the  deed  of  half  the 
mill  to  Tileston.  The  third  wife,  Ursula,  survived  him,  and  is* 
named  as  a  legatee  in  the  will. 

Of  the  children  two  were  sous,  Samuel  and  Increase  ;  and 
two  daughters,  Prudence  and  Waiting.  These  are  all  named 
in  the  will.  The  baptism  of  Samuel,  the  eldest,  who  lived  in 
Dorchester,  is  recorded  14.3.  [May  14th,]  1640  ;  and  that  of 
Increase,  14.1.  [March  14th,]  1642.f  Of  the  latter,  a  note 
upon  the  records,  in  the  handwriting  of  Rev.  Mr.  Danforth,  in- 
forms us  that  he  removed  to  Taunton.  The  v/ill  speaks  of  the 
eldest  son  of  Increase,  who  was  called  William.  It  appears  that 
Increase  had  several  other  sons  ;  and  many  of  his  descendants 
remain  in  Taunton  and  the  vicinity  at  the  present  day4  The 
eldest  daughter,  Prudence,  married  John  Bridge  of  Roxbury  ; 
the  younger,  Waiting,  married  Joseph  Peuniman  of  Brain- 
tree.  A  step-daughter  is  also  mentioned  in  the  will,  named 

*  MS.  Letters,  March  28th,  April  6th. 

f  Dorchester  Ch.  Rec. — The  entry  of  Samuel's  baptism  was  made  at  the  hot- 
torn  of  a  left-hand  page ;  and  the  adjacent  corner  of  the  leaf,  on  which  the  Chris- 
tian name  was  written,  has  been  worn  or  torn  off;  so  that  the  name  '  Samuel' 
no  longer  appears.  But  the  date  and  all  the  circumstances  show  conclusively, 
that  the  record  refers  to  the  eldest  son  of  William  Robinson. 

}  MS.  Lett,  of  Godfrey  Robinson  of  Raynham,  Mass,  dated  Oct.  26,  1857. 


PART  I.]  WILLIAM  ROBINSON.  7 

Mary  Streeter,  the  daughter  apparently  of  Ursula,  the   third 
wife. 

The  will  of  William  Robinson  is  recorded  in  the  office  of 
the  Court  of  Probate  in  Boston,  in  the  volume  for  1668.  It 
bears  no  date,  and  was  never  executed,  in  consequence,  doubt- 
less, of  his  sudden  and  tragical  end.  But  the  heirs  accepted 
it  ;  and  their  assent  is  endorsed  upon  it  under  date  of  July 
31st,  1668,  between  three  and  four  weeks  after  his  decease. 
It  shows  that  he  was  in  prosperous  circumstances  as  a  farmer. 
It  affords  also  definite  information  as  to  his  family.  I  venture, 
therefore,  to  print  it  here  for  the  first  time  ;  preserving  the 
ancient  orthography. 

WILL    OF    WILLIAM    ROBINSON. 

"  My  will  is,  that  after  the  buriall  of  my  body,  and  my  debts  honnestly 
payd,  "my  loving  wife  Ursula  shall  have  and  enjoy  my  dwelling-house, 
together  with  the  orchard  and  meadow  adjoyning  to  the  same,  and  hemp- 
yard,  and  that  part  of  the  new  barne  and  old  barne  I  now  enjoy,  stable. 
cowyard,  and  one  halfe  of  the  pasture  within  fence,  and  seaven  acres  of 
salt  marsh  by  the  river  side,  and  halfe  the  fresh  meadow  by  Thomas 
Trott's,  and  all  my  planting  ground  by  my  house  within  the  great  lots, 
eleven  acres,  be  it  more  or  less.  My  will  is,  that  my  wife  shall  have 
housing,  planting  land,  meadow,  pasture,  and  all  that  I  now  enjoy,  with 
all  the  priviledges  belonging  to  the  same,  during  her  natural  life,  if  she  con- 
tinue my  widow.  But  at  her  marriage  or  death,  then  to  leave  all  to  my 
sonn ;  and  while  she  hath  it,  to  keepe  housing  and  fencing  in  good  ten- 
nantable  repare,  and  to  make  no  wast  or  stroy  upon  it,  by  falling  wood  or 
timber  or  any  thing  else. 

"  And  I  give  to  my  son  Increase  Robinson,  after  my  wive's  decease  or 
marriage,  foure  acres  of  my  salt  marsh  lying  next  Thomas  Trott's  ditch, 
being  the  west  end  of  my  meadow  ;  and  all  my  land  lying  on  the  south  side 
of  the  high  [way]  leading  from  my  house  to  Neponset  mill,  which  I  pur- 
chased of  John  Minot,  Mr.  "Withington,  Enoch  Wiswall,  and  Goodman 
Pearse,  be  it  what  it  will,  more  or  less,  it  lying  out  of  fence,  the  south  side 
lying  next  to  the  land  of  Thomas  Hilton,  the  east  end  to  Brother  How, 
and  the  north  side  with  the  highway  above  mentioned ;  and  halfe  my  lott 
lying  by  the  sheepe  pen  ;  and  half  of  all  my  common  rights  I  have  in  Dor- 
chester ;  and  that,  with  what  I  have  already  given  him,  to  bee  his  portion. — 
My  will  is,  that  if  my  sonn  Increase  doe  sell  the  foure  acres  of  salt  marsh 
and  the  foure  lott  ends  mentioned  before,  then  my  sonn  Samuell  shall  have 
it ;  he  paying  for  the  marsh  twenty  pounds  in  money,  and  for  the  upland  ten 


g  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

pounds  in  money ;  and  that  liec  shall  not  sell  it  to  any  else  from  his 
brother;  but  if  his  brother  will  not  give  that  price,  then  hee  may  sell  it  to 
whom  hee  will. 

My  will  is,  that  after  my  wive's  death  or  marriage,  my  eldest  sonn, 
Samuell  Robinson,  shall  have  all  my  houses,  land,  and  meadow  I  have  in 
Dorchester,  to  what  I  have  already  given  him ;  excepting  what  I  have 
given  to  my  sonn  Increase  Robinson ;  and  that  to  be  his  portion ;  he  pay- 
ing within  two  years  after  my  death  to  my  daughter  Prudence  Bridge  of 
Roxbury  the  sume  of  twenty  pounds  in  corne  or  cattle  ;  and  to  my  daughter 
Waiting  Penniman  of  Braintry,  twenty  pounds  in  the  same  pay  and  kind  ; 
to  all  my  grandchildren  that  are  then  living  ten  shillings  a  piece  ;  excepting 
my  sonn  Increase  eldest  son  that  bears  my  name,  and  my  [grand  ?]  daugh- 
ter Prudence,  which  bears  my  wive's  name ;  to  them  two  twenty  shillings 
a  piece ;  to  be  payed  within  two  years  after  my  death,  their  father  giving 
discharge  for  it.  These  legacies  and  portions  being  paid,  then  my  son  is 
freed  from  all.  and  hath  to  his  proper  use  as  is  above  mentioned ;  with  what 
I  gave  him  before,  when  hee  was  married,  is  worth  three  hundred  pounds. 

My  will  is,  and  I  give  to  my  wife  one  cow  and  a  mare  which  was  Mrs. 
Shrimpton's,  to  bee  added  to  what  I  have  given. 

And  I  give  to  Mary  Streeter,  my  wive's  daughter,  foure  pounds,  as  a 
token  of  my  love  for  her. 

And  for  all  my  household  goods,  bedding,  linnen  and  woolen,  brass  and 
pewter  and  iron  pots,  andirons,  all  that  is  within  my  house  that  is  mine 
whatsoever,  as  all  my  cattle  of  all  sorts,  all  my  husbandry  tooles,  as  plowes, 
carts,  wheeles,  and  chaines,  and  all  iron  tooles  and  carpenter's  tooles  what- 
soever, within  and  without,  my  debts  being  taken  out,  all  the  remainder 
to  bee  equally  divided  between  Increase,  Prudence,  and  Waiting,  to  bee 
theirs  to  what  I  have  given  above  mentioned,  if  any. 

ENDORSED  :  This  will  of  our  late  deare  Father,  William  Robinson, 
written  on  the  other  side  with  his  owne  hand  which  we  acknowledge,  we 
doe  all  agree  and  consent  to  bee  allowed,  and  recorded,  and  made  good ;  as 
witness  our  hands,  this  31  July,  1668. 

marke 

(Signed)  URSULA  )  ROBINSON, 

SAMUEL  ROBINSON, 
INCREASE  ROBINSON,   • 
JOHN  BRIDGE, 
JOSEPH  PENNIMAN. 


PART  I.]  SAMUEL  ROBINSON.  9 

II. 

SAMUEL  ROBINSON  OF  DORCHESTER. 

SAMUEL,  the  eldest  son  of  William  Robinson,  baptized  May 

14,  1640,   inherited,  as  above  mentioned,  the  estate  of  his 
father  in  Dorchester.      He   appears  to  have  been  a  thrifty 
manager,  and  acquired  a  large  property.     He  was  also  a  man 
of  considerable  note  in  the  community  ;  was  always  entitled 
'Mr.';  and  was  chosen  rater    in  1677,1680,  1682,  1683; 
selectman  in    1688  and  1693  ;    and  representative    to  the 
General  Court  in  1701  and  1702.*     He  died  in  Dorchester, 
September  16,  1718.f 

He  is  understood  to  have  married  Mary  Baker,  daughter 
of  Richard  Baker.  "  In  the  church  record  we  find  the  baptism 
of  Mary  Baker,  2.12.  [Feb.  2,]  1640  ;  and  against  it  written  : 
'  Married  Mr.  Robinson.'  "£ 

"The  only  children  of  Samuel  and  Mary  Robinson,  whose 
births  are  recorded  in  Dorchester  [Town]  records,  are  Samuel 
jr.  bora  13.4.  [June  13,]  1666  ;  and  Mary,  born  11.6.  [Aug. 
11,]  1668. "§  To  these,  however,  is  to  be  added  a  son  John, 
afterwards  the  Rev.  John  Robinson  of  Duxbury,  born  A.  D. 
1671  ;  but  whose  name  has  not  yet  been  found  in  any  of  the 
Dorchester  records,  either  of  births  or  baptisms. ||  It  has  been 
suggested,  that  he  may  have  been  baptized  in  some  other 
town,  during  a  visit  of  his  parents.  The  evidence  showing 
that  he  was  the  only  brother  of  Samuel  Robinson  jr.  and 
therefore  the  youngest  son  of  the  first  Samuel  Robinson,  is 
given  below,  under  his  name. 

*  Blake's  Annals. 

f  Ibid,  p.  41. 

i  Dr.  Harris'  MS.  Lett,  of  April  6,  1855. 

§  Dr.  Harris'  MS.  Lett,  of  March  28,  1855.     Also  Lett,  of  E.   Clapp  jr.  May 

15,  1856. 

||  There  was  in  Dorchester  another  John  Robinson,  the  son  of  James  ;  whose 
birth  is  recorded  in  the  town  records  under  the  date  of  April  1.7,  1675.  He  has 
heretofore  been  often  confounded  with  the  Rev.  John  Robinson  of  Duxbury. 


10  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I 

No  will  of  Samuel  Kobinson  has  yet  been  found  ;  nor  any 
record,  not  even  the  slightest,  of  the  settlement  of  his  estate. 
It  is  not  improbable,  that  he  died  intestate  ;  and  possibly  his 
heirs  may  have  divided  the  estate  between  them,  without 
making  any  return  to  the  court  of  Probate.*  This  absence  of 
all  notice  of  the  disposition  of  his  estate,  which  must  have  been 
large  for  those  days,  is  the  more  remarkable  ;  since  the  wills  of 
both  his  father  and  his  eldest  son  appear  in  the  Boston  Pro- 
bate Records.  His  son  Samuel  succeeded  to  the  estate  in 
Dorchester,  f 

SAMUEL  PIOBINSON  jr.  of  Dorchester  was  twice  married  ; 
first  to  Mary  Wiswall,|  March  13,  1706,  who  died  May  9, 
1715  ;  and  again  to  Dorcas  Carver,  Dec.  11,  1723,  who  died 
Nov.  27,  1746,  aged  about  81  years.  He  seems  to  have  been 
a  man  of  less  influence  than  his  father  ;  and  to  have  held  no 
office  in  the  town,  except  once  that  of  constable  in  1709. § 
He  died  March  30,  1734  ;  and  lies  buried  near  the  middle  of 
the  old  cemetery  in  Dorchester.  The  following  is  the  inscrip- 
tion upon  his  tombstone  : 

Here  lies  Buried  the  Body 

of  MR.    SAMUEL    ROBINSON, 

who  died  March  the  30th, 

Anno  Domini  1734.  in  the 

68th  year  of  his  age. 

*  I  learn  from  the  Hon.  James  Savage  of  Boston,  that  such  a  mode  of  settle- 
ment was  in  those  days  allowable  and  valid.  A  division  may  have  been  made 
before  witnesses  ;  and  then  no  deeds  were  required.  Had  the  father  in  his  lifetime 
conveyed  his  real  estate  to  his  sons,  the  deeds  must  have  been  recorded.  But  no 
such  deeds,  either  by  the  father,  or  any  by  the  sons,  have  yet  been  found.  See 
the  letter  of  Mr.  Savage  in  Appendix  A. 

f  There  is  a  possibility, — a  bare  possibility, — that  some  document  relating  to 
the  estate  of  Samuel  Robinson,  may  yet  be  found  among  the  few  papers  of  his  son, 
the  Rev.  John  Robinson  of  Duxbury,  still  preserved  in  Lebanon,  Conn.  They  are 
in  the  hands  of  a  very  aged  female,  who  is  now  in  her  90th  year ;  who  lives  by 
herself,  and  is  unwilling  either  to  part  with  the  papers,  or  to  let  them  be  examined. 
My  own  personal  application  for  permission  to  look  at  them,  was  refused  ;  as  have 
also  been  several  like  applications  since  made  in  my  behalf  by  Mr.  Hebard  of 
Lebanon  and  Dr.  Woodward  of  Franklin. — Nov.  1858. 

\  "  She  seems  to  have  been  a  daughter  of  Enoch  and  Elizabeth  Wiswall ;  and 
was  born  Aug.  27,  1677.  GreenleaPs  Register,  V.  p.  468."  Dr.  Harris'  Lett,  of 
April  6,  1855. 

§  Blake's  Annals,  p.  38. 


PART  I.]  REV   JOHN  ROBINSON.  ]  1 

His  will,  executed  a  day  or  two  before  his  decease,  is 
recorded  in  the  Probate  office  at  Boston,  in  the  volume  of  the 
same  year. 

By  his  first  wife  Samuel  Robinson  jr.  had  a  son  William, 
bora  Feb.  15,  1706-7,  who  married  Ann  Trott.  Their  son 
Lemuel,  born  March  4, 1735-6,  married  Jerusha  Minot.  The 
second  daughter  of  this  Col.  Lemuel  Robinson,  married  Dr. 
Amos  Holbrook  of  Milton  ;  and  their  daughter  Catharine 
became  the  wife  of  Dr.  T.  W.  Harris.* — In  the  last  interview 
I  had  with  Dr.  Harris,  in  May,  1855,  he  informed  me,  that  the 
male  line  of  this  branch  of  the  family  (Samuel  Robinson  jr.) 
had  become  extinct. 


III. 
REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON  OF  DUXBUBY. 

That  this  JOHN  ROBINSON  was  the  second  son  of  Samuel 
Robinson  and  grandson  of  William,  as  above  specified,  there 
seems  no  reason  to  doubt  ;  although  no  record  has  yet  been 
found  of  his  birth  or  baptism.  The  inscription  on  his  tomb- 
stone and  the  obituary  notice  in  the  Boston  News  Letter,  both 
copied  below,  fix  his  birth  in  the  year  1671,  probably  in 
March. f  An  entry  in  his  family  record,  now  in  my  possession, 
in  his  own  handwriting,  on  a  blank  leaf  of  his  family  Bible, 
runs  thus  : 

March  30, 1734.     Died  my  only  Brother,  Samuel  Robin- 
son, in  the  68th  year  of  his  age. 

It  will  be  seen  that  this  entry  tallies  precisely  with  the  in- 
scription on  the  tombstone  of  Samuel  Robinson  jr.  given 
above.  The  existence  of  this  entry,  and  indeed  of  the  said 
family  record,  became  known  only  in  1855.  Until  then,  John 

*  MS.  Lett,  of  Dr.  Harris,  Jan.  1845. 

f  This  month  (without  note  of  the  day)  stands  in  the  entry  of  his  death  by  a 
later  hand,  in  the  family  record  mentioned  in  the  text.  The  month  was  probably 
traditional  in  the  family. 


12  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

Robinson  of  Duxbury  was  usually  regarded  as  the  son  of 
James  Robinson  of  Dorchester,  and  born  in  1675  ;  notwith- 
standing the  fact,  that  this  was  contrary  to  his  obituary  notice 
and  to  the  inscription  on  his  tomb-stone,  referred  to  above.* 

Mr.  Robinson  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1695  ;  be- 
ing the  earliest  graduate  of  the  name  in  the  New  World.  In 
the  autumn  of  1698  he  went  as  a  missionary  to  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  is  said  to  have  preached  for  a  time  at  Newcastle.f 
To  this  work  he,  with  another,  had  been  recommended  by  the 
leading  ministers  of  Boston  and  the  vicinity  in  the  following 
document  :  £ 

BOSTON.  K  ENGLAND,  Aug.  25th.  1698. 

Inasmuch  as  divers  well-disposed  persons  in  Pennsylvania  have  desired 
that  preachers  of  the  everlasting  Gospel  may  be  from  New  England  sent 
unto  them,  their  desires  have  been  particularly  recommended  unto  two 
persons,  namely,  Mr.  Jedediah  Andrews  and  Mr.  John  Robinson ;  who 
have,  with  all  possible  encouragement  from  us,  declared  themselves  willing 
to  visit  Pennsylvania  on  the  design  of  preaching  the  Gospel,  where  they 
may  hope  it  will  find  a  reception. 

And  that  we  may  forward  the  good  reception  of  these  persons,  and  of 
their  services,  we  do  hereby  certify,  that  for  the  good  character  of  piety, 
learning,  and  prudence,  what  hath  been  given  them,  we  have  thought  them 
worthy  of  our  countenance  in  this  undertaking,  which  is  now  before  them  ; 
and  that  we  now  commend  them  and  their  pious  labours  to  the  acceptance 
of  the  people  of  God,  wherever  his  holy  providence  may  dispose  of  them. 

Humbly  praying  the  blessing  of  Heaven  to  accompany  them, 

INCREASE  MATHER, 
JAMES  ALLEN, 
SAMUEL  "WILLAHD, 
PETER  THACHER, 
JOHN  DANFORTH, 
COTTON  MATHEE, 
BENJAMIN  WADSWORTH. 

Mr.  Robinson  returned  to  Dorchester  the  next  year.  His 
admission  to  full  communion  in  the  Dorchester  church  is  re- 

*  See  page  9,  note. 

t  See  the  obituary  notice  below.  This  was  doubtless  the  Newcastle  in  Schuyl- 
kill  Co.  Penn.  not  far  from  Pottsville. 

\  The  original  of  this  document,  with  the  autographs  of  the  signers,  is  now  in 
the  possession  of  Ashbel  Woodward  M.  D.  of  Franklin,  Conn. 


PART  I.]  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  13 

corded  October  15,  1699.  It  would  seern  that  he  must  pre- 
viously have  been  in  partial  communion  with  that  church  or 
some  other ;  since  he  could  not  well  have  been  without  a  license 
to  preach  during  his  mission  to  Pennsylvania,  and  such  license 
implies  church-membership. 

In  September,  1700,  Mr.  Robinson  received  a  call  to  settle 
as  pastor  of  the  church  in  Duxbury,  Mass,  then  vacant  by 
the  recent  decease  of  the  Rev.  Ichabod  Wiswall,  July  23, 1700. 
It  may  not  be  amiss  to  turn  aside  here  for  a  few  moments,  and 
take  a  glance  at  the  previous  history  of  the  church  in  Dux- 
bury,  and  especially  of  the  Wiswall  family,  with  which  Mr. 
Robinson  afterwards  became  connected  by  marriage. 

DUXBURY  AND  ITS  EARLY  MINISTERS. — The  town  of  Dux- 
bury  was  first  settled  in  1631  or  1632,  by  the  people  of  Ply- 
mouth. Among  those  who  removed  thither  were  Captain  Miles 
Standish  and  John  Alden,  who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower  ; 
and  out  of  respect  to  the  former,  the  place  took  the  name  of 
Duxbury,  from  Duxbury  Hall,  the  seat  of  the  Standish  family 
in  England.*  Elder  Brewster  also  removed  early  to  Duxbury, 
and  settled  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Captain  Standish.f  The 
church  is  supposed  to  have  been  gathered  likewise  in  1632  ; 
though  there  was  no  settled  pastor  until  some  years  later. 

The  first  minister  was  the  Rev.  RALPH  PARTRIDGE,  who 
was  settled  in  1637.  His  ministry  was  peaceful  and  happy. 
He  died  in  1658,  in  a  good  old  age,  greatly  lamented  by  his 
people.^ 

His  successor  was  the  Rev.  JOHN  HOLMES.  He  too  was 
much  respected,  and  was  endeared  to  his  people  by  the  hu- 
mility and  meekness  of  his  character.  He  died  Dec.  24, 1675. 

The  next  pastor  of  Duxbury  was  the  Rev.  ICHABOD  WIS- 
WALL, who  demands  here  a  more  extended  notice. 


*  Winsor's  Hist,  of  Duxb.  pp.  9,  11,  48,  etc. 
t  "\Vinsor,  ibid.  pp.  48,  234. 

j  \Viusor,  pp.  171,  178.     He  is  also  spoken  of  with  great  respect  in  Mathers 
Magnalia. 


14  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

There  is  little  room  for  doubt,  that  he  came  originally  from 
Dorchester.  At  the  time  of  the  Kev.  Kichard  Mather's 
arrival  in  1635,  or  thereabouts,  came  also  two  brothers  from 
England,  John  and  Thomas  Wiswall,  who  settled  in  Dorchester, 
and  became  members  of  that  church,  and  later  of  other  churches. 
John  afterwards  removed  to  Boston.*  Thomas  Wiswall's 
name  (as  also  that  of  John)  appears  in  the  first  list  of  addi- 
tions to  the  church  of  Dorchester,  mentioned  above  as  extending 
from  1636  to  1639.  He  is  recorded  as  a  grantee  of  land  in 
1637;  he  subscribed  to  the  school  fund  in  1641;  was  select- 
man in  Dorchester  in  1644,  rater  in  1645,  and  again  select- 
man in  1652.f  He  was  owner  of  the  house  and  land  formerly 
belonging  to  the  Eev.  Mr.  Maverick.  Before  1656,  he  had 
removed  to  Newton,  then  a  part  of  the  town  of  Cambridge, 
Mass,  where  he  had  a  farm  in  the  village  of  about  four  hundred 
acres,  including  the  pond  which  has  long  borne  his  name. 
Several  years  later,  July  20,  1664,  on  the  day  of  the  ordination 
of  the  Rev.  John  Eliot  jr.  as  pastor  in  Newtown,  Mr.  Wiswall 
was  ordained  as  Ruling  Elder,  or  assistant  pastor,  to  aid  in 
inspecting  and  disciplining  the  flock.  In  1668,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  authorities  of  Cambridge  to  catechise  the 
children.  He  died  Dec.  6,  1683  ;  but  no  monument  marks  his 
grave,  and  his  age  is  unknown. £ 

The  children  of  Thomas  Wiswall  were  :  Enoch,  born  1633, 
who  remained  in  Dorchester,  and  inherited  his  father's  lands 
there.  Esther  or  Hester,  born  about  1635,  married  Major 
William  Johnson,  of  Woburn,  1655,  and  died  Dec.  27,  1707, 
aged  72  years.  Ichabod,  born  in  1737,  minister  of  Duxbury, 
died  July  23,  1700,  in  his  sixty-third  year.§  Noah,  baptized 

*  For  notices  of  John  Wiswall,  who  was  first  a  deacon  and  then  an  elder,  see 
Hist,  of  Dorchester,  pp.  137,  138 ;  Jackson's  Hist,  of  Newton,  p.  451.  Comp.  Blake's 
Annals  of  Dorchester,  1645,  1652. 

f  Blake's  Annals  of  Dorchester. 

\  See  generally,  Jackson's  Hist,  of  Newton,  pp.  451,  452.  Hist,  of  Dorches- 
ter, p.  138. 

§  Assuming  that  Ichabod  Wiswall  was  born  even  as  late  as  August  or  Sep- 
tember, 1637,  no  difficulty  can  arise  from  the  record  that  Noah  was  baptized  late 
in  December,  1638.  There  would  still  be  an  interval  of  fifteen  or  sixteen  months 
between  them. 


PART  I.]  REV.  ICHABOD  WISWALL.  15 

in  Dorchester,  Dec.  30,  1638,*  lived  in  Newton,  and  was 
killed,  as  captain,  in  a  desperate  fight  with,  the  French  and 
Indians  near  Wheelwright's  pond  in  Lee,  N.  H.  July  6,  1690. 
Mary,  married  Samuel  Pay  son,  of  Dorchester.  SaraJi,  bap- 
tized 1643,  married  Nathaniel  Holmes  jr.  of  Dorchester. 
Ebenezer,  born  1646,  was  selectman  of  Newton  in  1689, 
and  died  June  21,  1691,  aged  45  years.f 

1  have  inserted  this  list  of  the  children  of  Thomas  Wis- 
wall,  chiefly  in  order  to  show,  that  the  birth  of  Ichabod  Wis- 
wall  in  1637,  the  year  indicated  by  the  inscription  on  his 
tombstone,  naturally  and  appropriately  occupies  a  place  in  the 
series;  although  no  record  of  it  has  yet  been  found.  To  the 
same  effect  is  the  tradition  of  Dorchester,  and  also  of  Plymouth 
and  the  vicinity4  Winsor  questions  his  descent  from  Thomas 
Wiswall,  but  without  assigning  any  grounds  ;  and,  as  it  seems 
to  me,  without  good  reason. § 

The  Rev.  Ichabod  Wiswall,  the  son  of  Thomas  Wiswall,  as 
we  have  seen  above,  was  bom  in  the  year  1637.|j  He  entered 
Harvard  College  in  1654,  and  left  without  a  degre.6  in  1657.^[ 
From  this  time  until  his  settlement  in  Duxbury,  we  hear  little, 
if  any  thing,  of  him.  There  was  an  Ichabod  Wiswall  in 
Plymouth  colony  in  1667  ;  where  his  name  and  that  of  Re- 
member Wiswall,  perhaps  his  first  wife,  appear  as  attached  to  an 
instrument  on  record  in  the  colony  books.** 

Mr.  Wiswall  was  settled  as  pastor  of  the  church  in  Dux- 
bury  in  1676.  The  salary  at  this  period  was  small,  only  about 

*  The  Hist,  of  Dorchester  wrongly  places  his  baptism  in  1640.  In  the  church 
records  no  date  is  added ;  but  the  entries  preceding  and  following  that  of  Noah 
Wiswall,  are  dated  30.10.1638,  i.  e.  Dec.  30,  1638.  E.  Clapp  jr.  MS.  Lett.  Sept. 
22,  1856. 

t  Jackson's  Hist,  of  Newton,  pp.  452-456.     Hist,  of  Dorchester,  pp.  138,  139. 

\  This  tradition  is  generally  credited  in  Dorchester  and  Newton.  See  Hist,  of 
Dorchester  and  Hist,  of  Newton,  as  above  cited.  Deane's  Hist,  of  Scituate,  p.  400. 
The  antiquaries  of  Plymouth  hold  to  the  same  view;  as  I  was  informed  by  the 
late  N.  M.  Davis,  Esq. 

§  Hist  of  Duxbury,  p.  180. 

|  Inscription  on  his  tombstone ;  see  below. 

•jf  Farmer  says  he  was  at  college  from  1644  to  1647,  a  mistake  of  ten  years. 
This  was  corrected  by  Mr.  Jackson  from  the  college  records,  as  he  informed  me. 
Hist,  of  Newton,  p.  453. 

**  Winsor,  p.  180. 


16  ANCESTORS.  [PART  L 

£50  ;  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  afterwards,  when  he  came  to 
have  a  large  family,  his  mind  should  be  much  '  exercised '  in 
view  of  the  prospect  of  their  being  left  destitute.  He  was 
twice  married,  and  would  seem  to  have  had  a  daughter  Eliza- 
beth by  his  first  wife.*  He  married  his  second  wife,  Priscilla 
Pabodie  (or  Pay  body),  Dec.  10,  1679.  She  was  born  January 
15,  1653—4,  and  was  a  daughter  of  William  Pabodie  of  Dux- 
bury,  and  Elizabeth  Alden  his  wife,  a  daughter  of  John  Alden 
and  Priscilla  Mullins,  who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower,  and  were 
afterwards  married.  A  brief  notice  of  these  ancestors  of  Mrs. 
Wiswall  is  here  appropriate. 

JOHN  ALDEN  is.  supposed  to  have  been  born  in  1599  ;  and 
was  therefore  twenty-one  years  old  when  he  arrived  at  Ply- 
mouth, in  December,  1620.  According  to  Bradford,  "  he  was 
hired  for  a  cooper,  at  South-Hampton,  wher  the  ship  victuled  ; 
and  being  a  hopfull  young  man,  was  much  desired,  but  left  to 
his  owne  liking  to  go  or  stay  when  he  came  here  ;  but  he  stay- 
ed, and  rnaryed  here."  f  His  name  appears  among  the  signers 
of  the  celebrated  compact  of  government,  entered  into  by  the 
pilgrims  while  still  on  board  the  Mayflower.  He  married 
Priscilla  Mullins  in  1621 ;  the  birth  of  their  first  child  is  re- 
ported in  1622.  They  had  eleven  children  ;  but  the  names  of 
only  eight  have  been  preserved.  $  Mr.  Alden  removed  with 
Miles  Standish  to  Duxbury  in  1631  or  1632.  He  was  an  up- 
right and  trustworthy  man  ;  and  was  accordingly  trusted  in 
the  affairs  of  the  colony.  From  1633  to  1639  inclusive,  he 
was  annually  elected  an  Assistant  in  the  government  ;  for  the 
next  eleven  years  he  did  not  hold  this  office,  but  was  often  a 
deputy  from  Duxbury.  From  1651  to  1666  he  was  again 
elected  to  his  former  station,  and  for  the  last  two  of  those 
years  was  senior  Assistant.§  He  died  September  26,  1686, 
aged  eighty-seven  years.  He  was  decided,  resolute,  and  per- 

*  See  his  family  record,  farther  on. 
f  Bradford,  Hist,  of  Plymouth,  p.  449. 
i  Bradford,  ibid.  p.  452.     Winsor,  Hist,  of  Duxb.  p.  213. 
§  New  England's  Memorial,  passim.     For  1637  and  1639,  see  Bradford's  Hist, 
of  Plymouth,  pp.  151,  367. 


PAKT  L]  JOHN  ALDEN  AND  WIFE.  17 

severing  ;  a   man  of  exemplary  piety  and   incorruptible  in- 
tegrity.* 

PRISCILLA  MULLINS,  the  wife  of  John  Alden,  was  the 
daughter  of  William  Mullins  (or  Mollines),  who  came  over  in 
the  Mayflower  with  his  wife,  his  son  Joseph,  his  daughter 
Priscilla,  and  a  servant.  All  these,  except  the  daughter,  were 
swept  off  by  the  pestilence  of  the  first  winter,  and  Priscilla 
was  left  alone.  Mr.  Mullins  died  Feb.  21, 1 620-1. f  She  mar- 
ried John  Alden  in  the  course  of  the  same  year.:};  It  is  re- 
ported by  tradition,  that  after  the  death  of  Rose,  wife  of  Miles 
Standish,  January  29,  1620-1,  the  latter  sent  John  Alden  to 
Mr.  Mullins,  to  ask  for  him  the  hand  of  his  daughter.  The 
matter  was  referred  to  the  daughter,  who,  after  listening  to  it, 
said,  with  downcast  eyes, "  Prithee,  John,  why  not  speak  for 
yourself  ?  "  The  hint  was  taken,  and  their  marriage  followed. 
This  anecdote  may  not  improbably  have  had  some  foundation 
in  truth.  But  as  Mr.  Mullins  died  just  three  weeks  after 
Eose  Standish,  the  story  of  an  application  to  the  father  is 
probably  apocryphal.  § 

The  children  of  John  and  Priscilla  Alden,  whose  names 
have  been  preserved,  were  the  following  :  John,  born  1622, 
lived  in  Boston ;  Joseph,  born  1624,  lived  in  Bridge  water ; 
Elizabeth,  born  1625,  married  William  Pabodie  ;  David,  was 
a  prominent  man  in  Duxbury  ;  Jonathan,  inherited  and  lived 
on  the  homestead  ;  Sarah,  married  Alexander  Standish;  Ruth, 
married  John  Bass  of  Braintree  ;  Mary,  married  Thomas 
Delano  of  Duxbury. 

Elizabeth  Alden,  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  preceding, 
born  in  1625,  married  William  Pabodie  of  Duxbury,  Decem- 
ber 26,  1644.  ||  He  was  a  son  of  John  Pabodie,  and  resided 

*  See  generally  Winsor,  ibid.  pp.  55-63,  213.  ^ 

f  Bradford,  ibid.  pp.  448,  452  ;  Prince's  Annals,  p.  184. 

j  Not  until  after  the  middle  of  May ;  as  the  first  marriage  in  the  colony,  that 
of  Edward  Winslow,  was  celebrated  May  12th.  Bradford,  ibid.  p.  101. 

§  Most  certainly  apocryphal  is  the  legend,  that  John  Alden  took  his  wife 
home  riding  on  an  ox.  In  1621  the  pilgrims  had  not  spread  themselves  beyond 
the  narrowest  limits  in  Plymouth  itself;  and  cattle  were  first  brought  over  in  1624. 
See  Bradford,  ibid.  p.  158. 

U  See  generally  Winsor,  ibid.  p.  285. 

2 


18  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

in  Duxbuiy,  where  he  was  "  a  man  much  employed  in  public 
affairs,  and  of  much  respectability."  He  died  December  13, 
1707,  aged  eighty-seven  years.  His  wife  survived  him  for  ten 
years,  and  resided  with  her  son  William,  at  Little  Compton, 
R.  I.  where  she  died  May  31,  1717,  in  the  ninety-third  year 
of  her  age.  The  following  notice  of  her  death  is  from  the 
Boston  News  Letter  of  June  17,  1717. 

LITTLE  COMPTOX,  31s*  May. — This  morning  died  here  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Paybody,  late  wife  of  Mr.  "William  Paybody,  in  the  ninety-third  year  of 
her  age.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John  Alden,  Esq.  and  Priscilla  his  wife, 
daughter  of  Mr.  William  Mullins.  This  John  Alden  and  Priscilla  Mul- 
lins  were  married  at  Plymouth  in  New  England,  where  their  daughter 
Elizabeth  was  born.  She  was  exemplarily  virtuous  and  pious,  and  her 
memory  is  blessed.  She  has  left  a  numerous  posterity.  Her  grand- 
daughter Bradford  is  a  grandmother. 

They  had  thirteen  children,  two  sons  and  eleven  daugh- 
ters. Priscilla  Pabodie,  the  sixth  daughter  and  seventh 
child,  born  January  15,  1653-4,  married  the  Rev.  Ichabod 
Wiswall,  as  is  above  related. 

On  one  page  of  the  family  record  of  the  Rev.  John  Robin- 
son, the  successor  and  son-in-law  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wiswall,  and 
in  his  own  handwriting,  is  the  following  record  of  Mr.  Wis- 
wall's  family.  The  first  name  seems  to  be  that  of  the  daugh- 
ter by  his  first  wife,  already  mentioned  above. 

Elizb.  Wiswall  was  born  Novr  1670. 

Mr.  Wiswall  was  married  to  his  2d  wife  [Priscilla  Pabodie]  24  of  10, 
[Dec.  24,]  1679. 

Mary  Wiswall,  born  4  of  8,  [Oct.  4,]  1680. 
Hannah  22  of  Feb  '  1681-2. 

Peleg  the  5th  of  Feb.  1683-4. 

Peres  Nov'  22, 1686. 

Prm  July  25,  1690. 

Deb  Nov'  22,  1693. 

Peres  died  May  7,  1692. 

Mrs.  Wiswall  died  at  Plimouth,  now  Kingston,  June  3, 1724. 

Mr.  Wiswall  died  July  23,  1700 . 


PART  I.]  REV.  ICHABOD  WISWALL.  "l9 

For  some  further  account  of  the  children  of  Mr.  Wiswall, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  the  Histories  of  Duxbury  and  Newton.* 

Mr.  Wiswall  was  a  man  of  energy  and  piety  ;  and  during 
his  ministry  both  the  church  and  the  town  prospered.  He 
was  greatly  assisted  in  the  affairs  of  the  church  by  Deacon  John 
Wadsworth,  a  pious  and  humble  man,  whose  highest  aim  was 
the  welfare  of  the  church.  His  age  was  about  the  same  with 
that  of  the  pastor  ;  and  he  died  only  two  months  before  the 
latter,  May  15,  1700. 

The  slender  salary  of  the  minister  became  soon,  of  course, 
insufficient  for  the  support  of  his  family  ;  and  he  was  chiefly 
dependent  on  the  liberality  of  a  few.  There  were  some,  who 
refused  to  pay  their  just  share  of  the  contribution  necessary 
for  his  maintenance.  This  state  of  things  weighed  upon  his 
spirits.  In  1685,  soon  after  recovering  from  a  severe  illness, 
he  addressed  a  letter  to  G-ov.  Hinckley,  in  which  he  laid  before 
him  various  and  weighty  considerations,  showing  that  ministers 
and  their  families  ought  to  receive  a  sufficiency  of  support.f 
"  It  was  a  mournful  reflection/'  he  said,  "  when  I  thought 
what  would  be  the  condition  of  my  family  after  my  death.  It 
was  no  small  exercise  in  my  sickness,  to  think  ye  when  my 
eyes  were  closed  in  death,  their  eyes  would  be  forcibly  kept 
open  by  streams  of  tears,  in  part  because  they  must  be  turned 
out  of  doors,  and  could  chalenge  no  habitation."  He  then 
proceeds  to  argue  in  behalf  of  a  proper  support  for  the  ministry  ; 
and  pleads,  not  for  himself  alone,  but  for  all  the  ministers  of 
the  colony. 

Nearly  two  years  later,  the  town,  at  a  meeting  held  Sept. 
10,  1687,  voted  to  increase  his  salary,  provided  he  does  not 
charge  "  those  debtor  that  pay  their  proportions,  for  the  neglect 
of  those  that  refuse  or  neglect  to  pay  their  dews  ;  p'vided  that 
the  town  does  addres  themselves  to  authority  for  the  obtaining 
of  the  whole."  This  was  not  passed,  however,  without  oppo- 

*  Winsor,  Hist,  of  Duxb.  p.  180.     Jackson,  Hist,  of  Newton,  p.  453. 
f  Hinckley  was  Governor  of  Plymouth  colony.     The  letter  is  dated  Nov.  6 , 
1685.     Hinckley  MSS.  II.  12.     See  Winsor,  p.  181. 


20  ANCESTOKS.  [PART  I. 

sition  ;  and  at  the  same  meeting  several  townsmen  remon- 
strated against  it.  About  the  same"  time  a  petition  was 
addressed  to  the  governor  of  Plymouth  colony,  "  in  order  to 
get  in  Mr.  Wiswall's  erariges  for  the  work  of  the  ministry 
among  us."  In  the  following  year,  the  pastor  received  a  grant 
of  the  use  of  a  tract  of  land  known  as  "  Bump's  meadow."* 

In  1689,  Mr.  Wiswall  went  to  England,  where  he  acted  as 
agent  for  the  colony  of  Plymouth,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
a  new  charter  for  the  colony.  Here  he  remained  two  or  three 
years.  At  the  same  time,  the  Eev.  Increase  Mather  of  Boston 
was  in  England,  as  agent  of  Massachusetts  for  a  like  purpose. 
Mr.  Wiswall  did  his  best  to  obtain  a  distinct  charter  for 
Plymouth  colony  ;  and  strenuously  endeavoured  to  prevent  the 
union  of  Plymouth  with  either  New  York  or  Massachusetts. 
On  the  other  hand,  Mr.  Mather  exerted  himself  to  prevent  a 
union  with  New  York,  and  to  obtain  a  charter  for  Massa- 
chusetts, Plymouth,  and  Maine  united.  In  this  he  was  suc- 
cessful, and  Mr.  Wiswall  was  baffled.  During  the  progress  of 
the  negotiations  in  England,  some  slight  feeling  of  animosity, 
it  is  said,  arose  between  the  two  clergymen.  This  appears 
from  their  correspondence  with  G-ov.  Hinckley  and  others. 
After  their  return  home,  Mather  used  to  taunt  Wiswall  with 
his  defeat,  familiarly  calling  him  "  little  Weazel."  Writing 
home  from  England  after  the  matter  was  settled,  he  hopes  that 
the  "  old  Weazel  will  be  content  in  his  den."  There  is, 
however,  no  doubt,  but  that  Mr.  Wiswall  was  a  true  and  de- 
voted representative  of  the  interests  of  Plymouth  ;  and  that 
he  stood  high  in  the  esteem  of  that  colony  for  his  ability  and 
integrity.  Nor  was  he  less  highly  esteemed  also  in  Massa- 
chusetts ;  for  although  he  acted  in  England  as  the  agent  of 
Plymouth  colony  only,  yet  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts, 
in  June  1694,  voted  him  £60,  as  a  gratuity  for  his  services  in 
a  voyage  to  England.f 

*  Winsor,  p.  182. 

•j-  This  notice  of  Mr.  Wiswall's  visit  to  England  is  drawn  mainly  from  Jack- 
son's Hist,  of  Newton,  pp.  453,  454 ;  with  a  few  additions  from  Winsor,  p.  184. 
See  also,  for  the  negotiations,  Hutchinson's  Hist.  I.  p.  359  sq. 


PAKT  I.]  REV.  ICHABOD  WISWALL.  21 

In  1694,  the  town  appointed  a  committee  to  give  to  Mr. 
Wiswall  a  deed  of  "the  towne  house"  and  "the  land  he  now 
lives  on."  This  house  had  been  built  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Holmes, 
and  now  belonged  to  the  town.  At  the  same  time,  the  town 
granted  him  "halfe  ye  meadow  called  House's  meadow,  y1 
belonged  to  the  ministry,  to  him  and  his  heirs  forever,  and  ye 
use  of  y*  whole  his  lifetime."  The  same  grant  also  covered 
two  other  pieces  of  land.  The  town  appointed  Mr.  John 
Wadsworth  and  Capt.  Jonathan  Alden  to  give  him  a  deed  ; 
but  they  dying  without  having  done  it,  the  town  afterwards 
passed  the  following  vote  : 

At  a  town  Meeting  held  in  Duxborough,  May  y*  7th,  1700,  Mr.  Samuel 
Seabury  and  John  Sprague  were  chosen  to  give  Mr.  Ichabod  Wiswall  a 
Deed  of  ye  land,  which  ye  Town  did  formerly  grant  unto  him,  in  consid- 
eration that  y"  Men  which  were  formerly  chosen  to  doe  it,  did  neglect  it.* 

The  deed  was  accordingly  given,  and  bore  date,  May  20, 
1700.  At  this  time  Mr.  Wiswall  acquitted  the  town  of  all 
arrears  from  1678  to  the  end  of  1694  ;  and  also  gave  the  town 
a  quit-claim  deed  of  all  other  former  grants.f 

Two  months  afterwards  Mr.  Wiswall  was  called  to  his  rest. 
He  died  July  23, 1700,  in  the  63d  year  of  his  age,  after  a 
ministry  of  twenty-four  years.  He  was  buried  in  the  old 
(second)  burying  ground  of  Duxbury,  near  the  southeast  corner. 
His  tombstone  is  the  oldest  in  the  cemetery.  It  is  still  clean 
and  free  from  moss  ;  and  the  inscription  is  perfectly  legible,  as 
follows  : 

Here  lyeth  buried 
y'body  ofy* 
Reverend  Mr. 
ICHABOD  WISWALL, 
Dec'd  July  y  23, 

Anno  1700, 

in  y  *  63d  year 

of  his  age.J 

*  Copied  by  N.  M.  Davis,  Esq.  f  Winsor,  pp.  182,  183. 

^  This  inscription  I  copied  in  1844. — In  July,  1857,  I  again  visited  the  old 
cemetery  in  Duxbury.  It  lies  on  the  north  side  of  the  main  road  leading  from  Kings- 


22  ANCESTORS.  [PART  L 

The  will  of  Mr.  Wiswall  is  dated  May  25,  1700  ;  and 
makes  his  wife  his  chief  legatee.  Inventory  £351  15s.  ;  in- 
cluding books,  £60.* 

Mr.  Wiswall  was  greatly  lamented  by  his  people  ;  among 
whom  he  had  so  long  lived  as  a  friend,  adviser,  and  instructor. 
He  had  to  struggle  with  difficulties  ;  and  for  many  years  was 
a  teacher  of  youth.  He  stood  very  high  in  the  estimation 
of  the  whole  community  for  his  talents,  piety,  and  incorrupt- 
ible integrity.  He  was  a  sound  preacher  ;  though  not  remark- 
able for  popular  eloquence.  He  wrote  much  ;  and  some  of  his 
compositions  are  highly  creditable  to  him.  His  style  was 
plain,  though  forcible  and  effective.  He  wrote  a  poem  on  the 
great  comet  of  1680  ;  it  is  said  to  have  been  printed  in  Lon- 
don ;  and  a  copy  is  preserved  in  the  library  of  the  Massachusetts 
Historical  Society,  f 

Mr.  Wiswall  is  said  also  to  have  been  famous  as  an  astrol- 
oger, and  to  have  predicted,  while  in  England,  the  death  of 
one  of  his  children.  This  was  probably  Peres,  who  died  in 
May,  1692.J 

Peleg  Wiswall,  the  eldest  son  of  Eev.  Ichabod  Wiswall, 
and  the  only  one  who  survived  him,  graduated  at  Harvard 
College  in  1702,  and  was  for  many  years  Master  of  the  North 
Free  Grammar  School  in  Boston.  He  died  Sept.  2,  1767, 
aged  84  years.  He  petitioned  the  General  Court  for  a  grant 
of  land,  in  consideration  of  the  suffering  and  services  of  his 
father  in  the  cause  of  the  Province  ;  which  petition  was  granted, 
and  three  hundred  acres  were  assigned  to  him  accordingly.  § 

This  episode  upon  the  life  and  ministry  of  the  Eev.  Mr. 
Wiswall  is  here  not  out  of  place.  The  descendants  of  his 
successor  and  son-in-law,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robinson,  are  also  Mr. 

ton  to  Duxbury  street.  Its  western  side  is  skirted  by  a  cross-road.  This  grave- 
yard having  been  long  disused,  the  surface  of  the  ground  is  now  covered  with 
a  thick  coat  of  moss ;  into  which,  in  a  dry  time,  the  foot  sinks  ankle  deep.  It 
would  be  much  to  the  credit  of  the  town,  if  they  would  cause  this  ancient  resting- 
place  of  their  fathers  to  be  kept  with  more  care  and  neatness. 

*  Jackson's  Hist,  of  Newton,  p.  454. 

f  Winsor,  pp.  183,  184.     Comp.  Deane's  Hist,  of  Scituate,  p.  400. 

j  Winsor,  p.  184.     Jackson,  Hist,  of  Newton,  p.  454. 

§  Jackson's  Hist,  of  Newton,  p.  454.  A 


PART  L]  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  ^3 

Wiswall's  descendants,  and  owe  him  a  debt  of  reverence  as 
their  ancestor.  Through  his  wife  Priscilla  Pabodie,  they  are 
also  descended  from  John  Alden  and  Priscilla  Mullins  his  wife  ; 
and  thus  claim  direct  kindred  with  the  pilgrims  of  the  May- 
flower. 

The  pecuniary  troubles  which  hung  around  the  ministry  of 
Mr.  Wiswall,  arising  partly  from  the  backwardness  of  his 
people  to  make  due  provision  for  his  support,  and  also  partly 
from  their  suffering  his  slender  income  to  fall  greatly  in  arrears, 
were  continued  in  like  manner  in  the  days  of  his  successor  ; 
and  finally,  in  consequence  of  the  less  yielding,  and  perhaps 
less  discreet  character  of  the  latter,  terminated  in  an  unhappy 
rupture.  _____ 

The  Rev.  JOHN  ROBINSON,  as  we  have  seen,  was  invited  to 
settle  as  pastor  at  Duxbury,  Sept.  2,  1700.  He  seems  to  have 
soon  entered  upon  the  duties  of  this  office  ;  but  was  not  or- 
dained until  November  18,  1702,  more  than  two  years  after- 
wards. The  following  votes  of  the  town  refer  to  his  call  and 
settlement.* 

At  a  Town  meeting  held  at  Duxborough  upon  ye  second  day  of  Sep- 
tember. 1700,  y*  town  voted  to  call  Mr.  John  Robinson  to  ye  work  of  ye 
ministry  here ;  they  also  voted  to  give  Sixty  Pounds  a  year  annually 
towards  his  maintenance  in  ye  aforesaid  work,  one  halfe  silver  money  and 
y*  other  halfe  Corn  or  Provision  at  y"  common  Price ;  they  also  made 
choice  of  Mr.  Seth  Arnold,  Mr.  Edward  Southworth,  Mr.  Samuel  Seabury. 
and  Mr.  William  Brewster,  as  their  agents  to  acquaint  Mr.  Robinson  with 
their  proceedings  herein,  and  also  to  discourse  with  him  concerning  his 
acceptance  thereof,  in  order  to  his  settlement  amongst  us  in  y*  aforesaid 
work  of  ye  ministry. 

At  a  Town  meeting  in  Duxborough  upon  the  19th  day  of  May,  Anno 
Dom.  1701,  ye  said  town  voted  to  give  Mr.  John  Robinson,  in  order  to  his 
settlement  here  in  ye  work  of  y"  Ministry,  Sixty  Pounds  in  money ;  y* 
said  money  to  be  raised  by  selling  some  part  of  ye  Town's  Common  land  ; 
y*  said  money  to  be  his,  if  he  live  and  dy  here  in  ye  aforesaid  work  of  y* 

*  The  first  of  these  votes  is  given  also  in  Winsor's  Hist,  of  Duxbury,  pp. 
184,  185. — That  and  the  others  were  kindly  copied  for  me  from  the  town  records 
in  1846,  by  the  late  N.  M.  Davis  Esq.  of  Plymouth. 


24  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

Ministry ;  but  upon  his  removing  from  us  he  is  to  return  ye  said  money  to 
y'  Town  for  their  own  use.* 

June  ye  15th.  1702.  At  a  town  meeting  y°  town  voted  to  give  Mr. 
Robinson  y"  threescore  pounds  in  order  to  his  settlement,  which  was 
formerly  given  him  ;  and  ye  halfe  of  ye  meddow  which  formerly  lay  to  ye 
Ministry.  ye  one  halfe  of  which  is  given  to  Mr.  Wiswall ;  and  y*  improve- 
ment of  ye  meddow  which  was  offered  to  John  Partridge  in  exchange, 
called  Rouse's  point ;  so  long  as  he  continues  with  us ;  y*  money  and  y' 
first  piece  of  meddow  is  his  own  perpetual,  if  he  settle  amongst  us  in  y* 
ministry,  and  take  office  in  ye  church. 

It  would  appear  from  these  votes,  that  the  delay  in  the 
ordination  of  Mr.  Robinson  arose  from  the  backwardness  of  the 
town  to  grant  what  he  regarded  as  an  appropriate  amount  of 
Bettlement.fi 

In  view  of  his  approaching  ordination,  Mr.  Robinson  took 
his  dismission  from  the  church  in  Dorchester,  Nov.  8,  1702, 
and  united  himself  with  the  church  in  Duxbury.J  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Danforth,  pastor  of  the  church  of  Dorchester,  and  a  del- 
egate, Elder  Topliff,  attended  the  council  which  ordained  Mr. 
Robinson,  Nov.  18,  1702.  On  that  occasion  the  church  in 
Duxbury  renewed  their  covenant;  "and  so  many  were  then 
joyned,  as  doubled  the  number  of  the  fraternity."§ 

On  the  31st  of  January,  1705-6,  Mr.  Robinson  married 
Hannah  Wiswall,  second  daughter  of  his  predecessor  in  the 
ministry,  by  the  second  wife.  She  was  born  Feb.  22,  1681-2. 
Their  union  continued  for  nearly  seventeen  years.  They  had 
eight  children  :  seven  of  whom  lived  to  adult  years.  The  fol- 


*  The  sum  here  voted  to  Mr.  Robinson  as  a  settlement  has  been  misapprehended 
by  "VVinsor,  as  if  it  were  for  his  annual  salary.  The  latter  had  been  fixed  by  the 
preceding  vote.  Compare  also  the  following  vote.  Hist,  of  Duxbury,  p.  187. 

f  It  is  also  related,  that  in  1701  the  town  voted  to  purchase  a  convenient  place 
for  a  parsonage  for  the  use  of  the  ministry ;  and  Mr.  Edward  Arnold,  Mr.  Edward 
Southworth,  and  Ensign  Samuel  Seabnry  were  appointed  a  committee  to  make  the 
purchase.  Winsor,  Hist,  of  Duxb.  p.  187. — This  vote  appears  not  to  have  been 
carried  into  effect,  at  least  during  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Robinson.  The  house  and 
farm  which  he  occupied  were  his  own  ;  and  were  sold  by  him  on  his  removal  from 
the  town. 

$  This  last  circumstance  appears  from  the  minute  of  the  council  which  dis«- 
missed  Mr.  Robinson  in  1 738.  See  below. 

§  Dorchester  Ch.  Records. 


PART  I.]  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  25 

lowing  is  the  family  record,  now  before  ine,  in  the  handwriting 
of  Mr.  Robinson. 

January  31,  1705-6.    I  was  married  to  my  wife,  H.  WISWALL,  now  Rob- 

inson,  per  Col.  Thomas. 
My   daughter  MARY  Robinson  was  born  at  Duxborough  FebT  23,  Anno 

1706—7,  half  an  hour  past  4  of  the  clock  in  the  morning,  being  Lord's 

day.    And  was  Baptized  April  13,  1707. 
My  second  daughter,  HANNAH  Robinson,  born  Nov'  2,  1708,  about  11  of 

the  clock  in  the  morning  of  the  3d  day  of  the  week.    And  was  Bap- 
tized Jany  9, 1708-9. 
My  third  daughter,  ALETHEA  Robinson,  was  born  May  26,  1710,  about  8 

of  the  clock  in  the  morning.     And  was  Baptized  July  2d. 
My  fourth  daughter,  BETTY  Robinson,  was  born  Sept.  28.  1712,  about  7 

of  the  clock  in  the  morning,  being  the  Lord's  day.    And  was  Baptized 

six  weeks  after. 
My  son,  JOHN  Robinson,  was  born  April  16,  1715,  about  3  of  the  clock  in 

the  morning,  being  Saturday.     And  was  Baptized  about  six  weeks  after. 
My  second  son,  SAMUEL,  was  born  July  10,  1717,  being  Wednesday,  about 

three  q™  past  6  at  night.    And  was  Baptized  Sepf  1,  1717.     And 

died  Decemr  10th  following,  between  12  and  1  in  the  morning. 
My  fifth  daughter,  named  FAITH,  was  born  Decem*  13,  1718,  hora  2d* 

P.  M.  being  Saturday.    And  was  Baptized  April  5,  1719. 
My  third  son,  named  ICHABOD,  was  born  Decem1 12,  1720,  about  4  of  the 

clock  in  the  afternoon,  being  Monday.     And  was  baptized  May  14th 

following,  having  been  dangerously  ill  all  that  time. 

On  comparing  these  names,  it  seems  probable,  that  the 
eldest  daughter,  Mary,  was  so  named  after  her  paternal 
grandmother,  the  wife  of  Samuel  Robinson  ;  and  the  second, 
Hannah,  after  her  own  mother.  Of  the  sons,  John,  the  eldest, 
was  so  named  after  his  father  ;  Samuel,  the  second,  after  his 
paternal  grandfather  ;  and  Ichabod,  the  third,  after  his  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  the  Rev.  Ichabod  Wiswall. — An  idea  has 
prevailed  among  some  of  the  descendants  of  Ichabod  Robinson, 
that  he  was  so  named  as  having  been  an  infant  at  the  time  of 
his  mother's  death.  But  the  record  shows,  that  he  was  nearly 
two  years  old  when  that  event  took  place,  and  had  already  been 
baptized  a  year  and  a  half  before  her  decease. 

The  conjugal  life  of  Mr.  Robinson  appears  to  have  been 
happy  ;  his  wife  is  always  spoken  of  as  virtuous,  intelligent, 


26  ANCESTORS.  [PABT  I. 

and  beloved.  A  sad  history  is  connected  with  her  and  her 
eldest  daughter  Mary.  Having  embarked  at  Duxbury  on 
board  of  a  small  coaster  plying  between  that  place  and  Boston, 
the  vessel  in  a  sudden  tempest  was  upset  near  Nantasket 
beach,  and  both  mother  and  daughter  were  drowned.  A  young 
student  of  Harvard  College,  Mr.  Fish  of  Duxbury,  likewise 
perished.  This  happened  Sept.  22,  1722.  The  body  of  the 
daughter  was  soon  recovered  ;  and  was  buried  in  the  southeast 
corner  of  the  old  cemetery  of  Duxbury,  near  the  grave  of  her 
grandfather  Wiswall.  The  following  is  the  inscription  on  the 
tombstone  :  * 

Here  lyeth  y*  Body  of 
Mrs  MARY  ROBINSON, 
Daugh'  of  ye  Rev.  Mr  John 

Robinson  of  Duxbury 

&  Mrs  Hannah  his  Wife. 

Drowned  with  her  Mother 

in  y*  passage  from  Duxbury 

to  Boston,  Sept.  22,  1722, 

16. 


Then  are  they  quiet,  because 
they  are  at  rest.    Ps.  107,  30.  f] 


The  body  of  the  mother  was  not  recovered  until  six  weeks 
afterwards  ;  when  it  was  found  by  the  natives,  at  Provincetown, 
on  the  extremity  of  Cape  Cod,  in  what  is  still  called  Herring 
Cove,  a  little  within  Race  Point.  £  It  was  interred  in  the 
public  cemetery  the  next  day.  The  body  was  identified  by 
papers  found  in  her  stays  ;  and  by  a  gold  necklace,  which  was 
concealed  by  the  swelling  of  her  neck.  This  necklace  was  long 

*  Copied  by  me  in  1844. 

f  The  true  reading  of  Ps.  107,  30,  is  :  "  Then  are  they  glad  because 
they  be  quiet."  Whether  the  singular  variation  on  the  stone  is  to  be  ascribed 
to  the  minister  or  the  stonecutter,  is  uncertain.  It  is  not  found  in  any  of  the 
earlier  English  versions  ;  nor  is  it  borne  out  by  the  Hebrew. 

J  Mr.  Deane  says  :  "  at  Race  Point,  Cape  Cod  ;"  Hist,  of  Scituate,  Bost. 
1831,  p.  400.  Herring  Cove  is  a  long  reach  of  coast,  slightly  indented,  beginning 
a  little  southeast  of  Race  Point.  See  the  Government  Map  and  Chart  of  Cape  Cod. 


PART  I.]  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  27 

preserved  by  her  descendants.*  A  gold  ring,  which  she  wore 
on  her  finger,  was  lost  ;  plundered  probably  by  the  natives, 
who  had  cut  off  the  swollen  ringer  in  order  to  obtain  the  ring. 
A  monument,  an  ordinary  tombstone,  was  erected  over  her 
grave,  with  an  inscription  by  her  husband,  similar  to  that  on 
the  daughter's  stone,  and  closing  with  this  sentence  from  the 
Psalms  :  "  So  he  bringeth  them  into  their  desired  haven. "f 
This  monument  was  renewed  about  twenty  years  ago,  by  her 
grandson,  Col.  Trumbull  the  painter  ;  but  it  has  since  disap- 
peared.:!: 

Mr.  Robinson  made  the  following  entry,  relative  to  this  sad 
event,  in  his  family  record  : 

Sept*  22,  1722.  My  dear,  pious,  vertious,  Loving  wife,  Hannah,  and 
iny  dear  and  lovely  Daughter,  Mary  Robinson,  were  both  of  them  drowned 
in  the  sea  near  Nantasket  Beeche ;  a  most  astonishing  blow  to  me  and 
mine  !  The  Lord  sanctifie  it  to  us,  and  support  us  under  it ! — The  corps 
of  my  Daughter  was  brought  home  and  interred,  Septr  27. — October  30th, 
the  corps  of  my  dear  wife  was  found  ashore  at  Cape  Codd,  near  a  place 
called  Herring  Cove ;  and  was  decently  interred  the  next  day,  Oct.  31, 1722. 
Help,  Lord ! 

This  overwhelming  bereavement  of  Mr.  Robinson  and  his 
family  excited  deep  sympathy  throughout  the  community. 
An  elegy,  not  indeed  of  the  highest  order  of  poetry,  was 
composed  by  the  Rev.  Nathaniel  Pitcher,  then  minister  at 
Scituate  ;  which  appears  to  have  been  extensively  circulated, 
as  printed  on  a  single  sheet.  I  venture  to  insert  it  here.§ 

*  It  was  last  in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  David  Trumbull  of  Lebanon ;  by  whom, 
as  I  have  been  informed,  it  was  dropped  into  the  box  on  occasion  of  a  contribution 
for  some  benevolent  object. 

f  Ps.  107,  30.  Hist,  of  Scituate,  p.  400.— It  thus  appears,  that  the  first  part  of 
the  verse,  Ps.  107,  30,  incorrectly  quoted,  was  placed  on  the  tombstone  of  the 
daughter  in  Duxbury ;  and  the  latter  part  on  that  of  the  mother  in  Provincetown. 

J  For  the  disappearance  of  the  monument  of  Mrs.  Robinson,  see  Appendix  B. 

§  See  Deane's  Hist,  of  Scituate,  p.  398. — In  1844  I  saw  a  copy  of  the  original 
printed  sheet,  then  in  the  possession  of  the  Rev.  Zepbaniah  Willis  of  Kingston,  Mass. 


28  ANCESTORS.  [PAHT  I. 

ELEGY  upon  the  sudden  and  surprising  departure  of  Mrs.  Hannah  Rob- 
inson, jEtatis  41,  late  Consort  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  John  Robinson,  who 
with  her  daughter  Mrs.  Mary  Robinson,  ^Etatis  1C,  perished  in  the 
Mighty  Deeps,  Sept.  22,  1722. 

Inspire  my  Muse  !     Ye  lofty  Beams  of  Light. 

In  trembling  airs  perfume  the  sable  Night ; 

Tread  soft,  while  we  relate  the  Tragedy, 

Performed  by  Him  who  dwells  and  rules  on  High. 

Let  thundering  billows  in  due  concert  meet, 

And  raging  winds  and  waves  each  other  greet, 

And  all  th'  obsequious  Elements  combine, 

To  pay  Devotion  to  the  Will  Divine, 

Of  Him,  whose  Infinite  and  matchless  sway, 

The  proudest  of  Created  Powers  obey. 

Behold  the  ghastly  visage  of  each  face, 

Besmear'd  with  Griefs,  deep  mourning  in  each  place ; 

Not  one  without  a  tear  upon  the  Hearse 

Of  the  bright  subjects  of  my  Fainting  verse. 

REV.  SIR, 

Can  Heart  conceive,  or  Tongue  express  your  grief? 
Can  any  hand  but  Heaven's  give  relief? 
Who  wounds  and  heals,  who  kills  and  keeps  alive, 
And  when  depress'd,  makes  Grace  to  live  and  thrive. 
Behold  bright  Sovereignty  in  clear  Displays 
Turning  your  Halcion  into  Gloomy  days  ; 
Your  Nuptial  Knot  the  fatal  Stroke  unty'd, 
By  Heaven's  Decree,  on  the  Atlantick  wide  ; 
The  Noisy  Waters,  on  the  Seas  that  move, 
Which  cannot  quench  the  streams  of  Boundless  love, 
Translated  yours  unto  the  joys  above, 
Transported  far  beyond  all  Fears  and  Harms, 
Guided  by  Angels  to  their  Saviour's  arms. 
You  could  not  close  your  Vertuous  Lady's  Eye ; 
You  must  not  see  your  dearest  Consort  dye, 
Nor  her  expiring,  gasping  agonies, 
Nor  listen  to  her  fervent  Farewell  cries. 
Bright  Hannah's  prayers  for  you  are  swiftly  gone 
On  Eagle's  wings,  up  to  the  Sapphire  Throne, 
And  you  are  left  to  grieve  and  pray  alone. 
One  of  the  Gowned  Tribe  and  Family, 
Of  bright  descent  and  Worthy  Pedigree ; 


PAKT  I.]  KEY.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  29 

A  charming  daughter  in  our  Israel, 

In  vertuous  acts  and  Deeds  seen  to  excell ; 

As  Mother,  Mistress,  Neighbour,  Wife,  most  rare  ; 

Should  I  exceed,  to  say  beyond  compare  ? 

Call  her  the  Phoenix,  yet  you  cannot  lye, 

Whether  it  be  in  Prose  or  Poetry. 

For  Meekness,  Piety,  and  Patience ; 

Rare  Modesty,  Unwearied  Diligence ; 

For  Gracious  Temper,  Prudent  Conduct  too, 

How  few  of  the  fair  sex  could  her  outdo  ? 

Beloved  of  all  while  living,  and  now  dead, 

The  female  Hadadrimmon's*  lost  their  head. 

Her  precious  Daughter  bears  her  company, 

Taking  her  flight  up  to  the  joys  on  High 

To  dwell  and  feast  with  her  eternally. 

God's  Will  is  done.   'Tis  duty  to  resign 

Yourself  and  all  unto  the  Will  Divine : 

You  often  pray'd,  "  God,  let  thy  Will  be  done ! " 

Still  do  so.  now  your  dearest  Ones  are  gone. 

Tf  your  Great  Sovereign  takes  but  his  own  due, 

You  are  obliged  to  Him,  not  He  to  you. 

May  God  Almighty  sanctify  this  frown, 
To  the  bereaved  Family  and  Town : 
May  the  tender  brood,  under  your  mateless  wing, 
When  Clouds  are  passed  over,  chirp  and  sing. 
May  you,  Sir,  fill  the  Consecrated  Place, 
With  purest  doctrines  and  displays  of  Grace, 
Till  you  have  run  and  finished  your  Race  ; 
That  when  your  dust  shall  unto  dust  go  down, 
You  may  receive  the  Bright  and  Massy  Crown  ; 
And  with  your  Dearest  Ones  enhappy'd  be, 
In  light  above,  Throughout  Eternity. 

N.  P. 

Of  the  Mr.  Fish,  who  perished  at  the  same  time,  no  further 
definite  memorial  has  come  to  my  knowledge.  Yet  I  have 
heard  the  half-traditional  report  or  suggestion,  that  he  and 
Mary  Kobinson  were  engaged  to  be  married  ;  and  were  on 
their  way  to  Boston  to  procure  articles  for  the  wedding.  This 
seems  improbable  ;  seeing  she  was  not  yet  sixteen  years  old,  and 
he  a  student  in  college.  And  further,  had  such  a  relation 

*  Compare  2  Kings  xxiii.  29 ;  Lam.  v.  16 ;  and  Zech.  xii.  1 1. 


30  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

existed  between  them,  or  between  her  and  any  one,  it  would 
have  deepened  the  public  sympathy  ;  and  some  allusion  to  it 
could  hardly  have  failed  to  have  been  made,  in  the  various  ac- 
counts of  the  catastrophe. 

The  ministry  of  Mr.  Eobinson  was  long ;  and  for  more 
than  thirty  years  was  comparatively  quiet.  Its  close  was  less 
happy.  "  Tradition  speaks  of  him  as  a  man  of  extraordinary 
powers  of  mind  and  accomplishments  of  eloquence."  *  He  was 
a  man  of  learning  for  his  day  ;  and  possessed  an  extensive  and 
valuable  library,  comprising  the  best  works  of  the  leading 
English  divines  of  the  seventeenth  century.  The  books  "  ap- 
pear to  have  been  selected  with  good  judgment ;  and  would 
most  conclusively  evince,  that  the  proprietor  was  possessed  of  a 
polished  taste."  f  Several  of  the  books,  in  English  binding, 
and  marked  with  the  date  of  1699.  are  still  in  the  hands  of 
his  descendants.  The  number  of  volumes  must  have  been 
large,  as  he  divided  up  his  library  in  his  will  among  four  of  his 
children.  He  seems  to  have  encouraged  literature  ;  and  was 
himself  a  subscriber  for  six  copies  of  Prince's  Annals,  before 
its  publication.^: 

As  a  preacher  he  was  sound  in  his  discourse,  and  senten- 
tious in  his  arguments.  His  sermons  were  usually  written  out 
in  full,  in  a  tolerably  legible  hand.  Quite  a  number  of  his 
manuscript  sermons  are  in  my  possession.  Some  of  them  are 
very  long,  forming  almost  a  treatise  upon  a  single  text.  These 
probably  occupied  several  Sabbaths  in  the  delivery.  Among 
the  sermons  is  one  delivered  by  him  in  April,  1705,  on  occa- 
sion of  the  national  thanksgiving  for  the  victory  gained  at 
Blenheim  the  preceding  year.  On  another  is  noted,  that  it 
was  preached  on  the  Lord's  day,  when  during  the  service  he 
received  intelligence  of  the  death  of  his  wife  and  daughter  by 
drowning.  He  was  remarkable  for  his  occasional  sermons  and 
texts  ;'§  and  the  occurrence  of  great  events  or  unusual  phe- 

*  This  is  the  remark  of  Mr.  Deane,  History  of  Scituate,  p.  400. 
f  MS.  Lett,  of  A.  Woodward  M.  D.  Oct.  24,  1855. 
j  New  England  Hist,  and  Genealog.  Register,  Vol.  VI.  1852,  p.  197. 
§  This  remark,  and  all  that  follows  on  the  character  of  Mr.  Robinson,  as  well 
as  the  anecdotes,  are  mainly  drawn  from  Winsor's  Hist,  of  Duxbury,  Bost.  1849, 


PART  I.]  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  31 

nomena  afforded  themes  to  his  liking,  which  he  would  treat  in 
a  manner  as  eccentric  as  characteristic.  He  seldom  exchanged 
pulpits  with  his  brethren  in  the  ministry. 

He  was  a  man  of  great  eccentricity  of  character,  which 
manifested  itself  on  many  occasions.  He  was  impetuous, 
sometimes  violent,  and  not  always  polished  in  his  modes  of 
expression.  It  is  related,  that  he  always  appeared  in  the  pul- 
pit in  a  short  jacket ;  and  in  consequence  of  this,  as  well  as  of 
his  baptismal  name,  he  was  familiarly  and  irreverently  spoken 
of  as  "  Master  Jack."  It  is  said  also,  that  he  never  wore  an 
outside  garment.* 

Mr.  Robinson  lived  in  a  two-story  house  on  a  rising  knoll, 
a  little  northeast  of  the  present  residence  of  Captain  Richard- 
son. He  had  for  a  near  neighbour  one  Josiah  Worinall,  with 
whom  he  lived  in  perpetual  strife  and  turmoil ;  and  whom  he 
was  accustomed  to  denominate  Alhvorm,  or  Wormwood,  ac- 
cording to  circumstances.  Wormall  usually  went  to  church  in 
a  leathern  apron,  smoking  his  pipe  until  he  reached  the  door 
of  the  meeting-house.  On  one  occasion,  having  deposited  his 
pipe  in  the  pocket  of  his  coat  before  extinguishing  the  fire 
within  it,  he  walked  up  the  broad  aisle  with  due  solemnity, 
leaning  on  a  gigantic  staff ;  and  having  taken  a  seat  directly 
before  the  pastor  in  the  "  old  men's  long  seats,"  he  fixed  his 
gaze  through  his  shaggy  eyebrows  upon  the  preacher.  It  was, 
however,  but  for  a  moment ;  for  suddenly  springing  from  his 
seat  with  a  stare  of  consternation,  and  seizing  the  skirt  of  his 
coat  all  on  fire,  he  rushed  from  the  house.  "  There,"  cried 
Mr.  Robinson  with  imperturbable  gravity,  "  there,  brethren, 
neighbour  Wormall  comes  smoking  into  the  house,  and  he 
goes  smoking  out."  At  another  time,  as  Wormall  sat  looking 

pp.  189,  190.  Winsor  derived  his  information  chiefly  from  manuscript  Notes  of 
the  Rev.  Benjamin  Kent ;  who  was  pastor  in  Duxbury  from  June  1826  to  June 
1833.  This  gentleman  appears  to  have  exerted  a  very  commendable  diligence,  in 
collecting  the  historical  and  personal  traditions  of  the  town. 

*  My  father  used  to  tell  of  a  clergyman  of  about  that  period,  (and  I  am  not 
sure  that  it  was  not  his  own  grandfather,)  who  never  had  a  fire  in  his  study  even 
during  winter.  When  asked  how  he  could  hold  out  during  the  severe  cold,  his 
reply  was :  "  When  I  feel  cold,  I  go  to  the  kitchen  and  take  a  welding  heat,  and 
then  go  back  again." 


32  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

up  from  his  place,  mimicking  in  miniature  the  gestures  of  the 
preacher,  and  pouting  occasionally  at  what  he  deemed  heret- 
ical doctrines,  Mr.  Robinson  suddenly  paused,  looked  down 
upon  his  auditor  and  audience,  and  said  :  "  Brethren,  I've 
done  !  If  you  will  follow  me  to  my  house,  I  will  preach. 
But  I  cannot  and  will  not  preach  here,  while  that  man  sits 
grinning  at  me."  He  instantly  left  the  pulpit ;  but  was  fol- 
lowed by  Pelatiah  West,  one  of  the  congregation,  who  gave 
him  on  the  door-step  the  anxious  assurance  :  "  Why,  Parson 
Robinson,  I  would  not  have  left  the  meeting-house,  if  the 
devil  had  been  there  ! "  "  Neither  would  I,"  was  the  ready 
response. 

On  another  occasion,  Pelatiah  West  wrote  the  following 

'  O 

lines  and  handed  them  to  one  of  the  deacons,  to  be  read  and 
sung  line  by  line,  as  was  then  the  custom.  They  had  refer- 
ence to  some  alleged  or  probably  misrepresented  sentiment  of 
Mr.  Robinson  : 

"  He  that  doth  bring  the  fattest  pig, . 
And  eke  the  goose  most  weighty, 
He  is  the  independent  Big, 
And  eke  the  saint  most  mighty. 

"  But  he  that  doth  withhold  his  hand, 
And  eke  shut  up  his  purse, 
The  Lord  shall  drive  him  from  the  land, 
And  eke  lay  on  his  curse  ! " 

After  an  earthquake,  which  happened  during  his  ministry, 
Mr.  Robinson  was  visited  by  one  of  his  people,  who  found  him 
apparently  in  much  distress.  In  answer  to  an  inquiry  he 
said  :  "  Neighbour,  you  know  there  has  just  been  an  earth- 
quake, and  I  must  preach  about  it.  But  I  don't  know  what  to 
do.  I've  no  book  that  says  a  word  about  earthquakes."  He 
preached,  however,  on  the  next  Sabbath  ;  and  two  such  ser- 
mons, his  people  said,  were  never  delivered. 

In  a  case  like  the  following,  he  probably  well  knew  whom 
he  had  to  deal  with.  When  a  member  of  his  church  once 


PART  I.]  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  33 

called  upon  him,  he  appeared  to  be  in  a  meditative  mood  ; 
and  some  questions  being  asked,  he  replied  :  "  This  morning 
I  got  up  and  went  out  of  doors,  and  saw  a  hawk  in  the  sky,  a 
large  hawk,  and,"  he  added  with  a  look  of  assurance,  "  that 
dog  sat  upon  his  tail."  This  story  was  followed  by  another 
equally  marvellous.  The  visitor  expressed  his  astonishment, 
and  even  ventured  to  hint  his  disbelief.  "  Ah  !  "  said  Mr. 
Robinson,  "  no  one  can  believe  any  thing  here  without  it  is 
miraculously  wrought  before  him."  "  Surely,"  replied  the 
other,  "  one  must  be  in  a  great  delusion  to  believe  a  lie." 
Here  the  matter  dropped.  Not  long  after,  at  a  meeting  of 
the  church,  Mr.  Robinson  was  called  upon,  in  their  presence, 
to  explain  the  strange  stories  he  had  related.  He  rose,  and 
remarked  with  an  air  of  indifference  :  "  Disbelieve  it,  if  you 
please  ;  but  I  know  that  dog  sat  upon  his  tail."  "  Upon  the 
hawk's  tail  ?  "  asked  some  one.  "  No,"  rejoined  Mr.  Robinson 
with  emphasis,  "  upon  his  own  tail,  of  course." 

Another  anecdote  is  likewise  characteristic.  Having  at 
one  time  applied  for  an  increase  of  salary,  one  of  his  most 
bustling  parishioners,  who  doubtless  thought  he  had  enough 
already,  thus  addressed  him  :  "  Well,  Parson  Robinson,  what 
do  you  want  now  ?  You  know  we  have  raised  your  salary 
once  ;  and,  besides  that,  we  have  given  you  the  improvement 
of  Hammer  Island,  and  upwards  of  thirty  acres  upland  in 
Weechertown.  Isn't  that  enough  ?  "  "  Ah,  yes,"  replied 
Mr.  Robinson,  "  Hammer  Island  !  and  I've  mowed  it  too  this 
year,  and  I  don't  want  a  better  fence  around  my  corn-field, 
than  one  windrow  of  the  fodder  it  cuts.  My  yearlings  will 
come  up  to  it,  and  smell  of  it,  yes,  smell  of  it,  and  then  run 
and  roar  !  Weechertown  ?  thirty  acres  in  Weechertown  ? 
Why,  if  you  were  to  mow  it  with  a  razor,  and  rake  it  with  a 
fine-tooth  comb,  you  wouldn't  get  enough  from  it  to  winter  a 
grasshopper." 

Of  a  like  character  and  spirit  are  the  farewell  words,  which 
he  is  said  to  have  addressed  to  the  town  on  his  departure  : 
"  Neighbours,  I  am  going,  never  to  return  ;  and  I  shake  off 
3 


34  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

the  dust  from  my  feet  as  an  everlasting  testimony  against  you, 
vipers  as  ye  are  !  " 

After  all  these  anecdotes,  it  would  be  unjust  to  Mr.  Robin- 
son not  to  insert  here  the  testimony  of  one  who  of  course  knew 
him  well,  and  who  was  eminently  capable  of  forming  a  correct 
estimate  of  his  character  :  "  He  was  a  learned  and  sound 
divine  ;  laborious  and  faithful  in  his  Master's  vineyard.  In 
civil  life  he  was  just,  generous,  of  a  cheerful  and  pleasant  dis- 
position, and  a  faithful  friend."  * 

We  have  seen  above,  that  the  delay  of  the  ordination  of 
Mr.  Robinson  was  occasioned,  apparently,  by  the  backwardness 
of  the  people  in  providing  a  "  settlement,"  as  it  was  called. 
Mr.  Robinson  was  then  thirty  years  of  age  ;  the  son  of  a  father 
well  off  in  the  world  ;  he  had  received  a  college  education,  and 
was  the  possessor  of  a  good  library.  No  doubt  his  sixty  pounds 
a  year,  with  a  settlement  of  like  amount,  was  sufficient  for  his 
support  under  the  circumstances.  But  when  he  married,  and 
became  the  father  of  eight  children,  it  is  just  as  obvious,  that 
his  salary  was  quite  inadequate  for  the  support  of  such  a 
family.  Even  Goldsmith's  curate,  who  was  "  passing  rich 
with  forty  pounds  a  year,"  f  was  not  blessed  with  a  wife  and 
eight  children.  Hence  it  was  natural  and  just,  that  Mr.  Rob- 
inson should  ask  for  an  increase  of  salary  ;  which,  it  would 
seem,  from  one  of  the  preceding  anecdotes,  was  granted  him  ; 
but  the  amount  is  not  known.  He  received  also,  at  various 
times,  grants  of  lands,  the  use  of  which  he  was  to  enjoy  during 
his  ministry.:]:  These,  of  course,  reverted  to  the  town  on  his 
dismissal.  His  father  died  in  1718  ;  and  this  son,  doubtless, 
received  his  portion  of  the  estate  ;  probably  in  money  or  in 
obligations  for  money  ;  since  the  landed  property  in  Dorchester 
remained  in  the  possession  of  his  elder  brother  Samuel. 

The  first  traces  of  the  pecuniary  difficulties,  which  after- 

*  See  the  obituary  notice  from  the  Boston  Newsletter,  given  below ;  written, 
in  all  probability,  by  his  son-in-law,  the  first  Gov.  Trumbull  of  Connecticut. 

•j-  Goldsmith's  Deserted  Village.  Forty  pounds  sterling  are  just  equivalent  to 
£60  New  England  money. 

\  See  the  anecdote  on  p.  33 ;  also  the  third  vote  on  pp.  23,  24. 


PAET  I.]  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  35 

wards  arose  between  Mr.  Robinson  and  his  people,  and  embit- 
tered the  last  years  of  his  ministry,  begin  to  appear  in  the  year 
1736.  It  is  stated,  that  his  salary  for  that  year  was  £120.'* 
There  must  be  here,  I  think,  some  misapprehension  ;  for  such  a 
sum  is  much  beyond  the  amount  paid  at  that  time  by  any 
country  parish  in  New  England  to  their  minister.  Many  years 
later  the  celebrated  Dr.  Bellamy  was  satisfied  with  £80.  It 
seems  not  improbable,  that  the  £120  (if  that  sum  was  really 
allowed  him)  was  intended  to  cover  not  only  salary,  but  also 
a  certain  amount  as  a  set-off  against  other  claims,  perhaps 
for  interest  on  former  arrearages. 

That  such  arrearages  had  been  for  some  years  accumu- 
lating, appears  from  the  record  of  a  town  meeting  held  March 
14,  1737,  when  "  the  town  chose  Edward  H.  Arnold,  Col. 
John  Alden,  Mr.  Joshua  Soule,  Samuel  Weston,  and  John 
Wadsworth,  a  committee  to  treat  with  Mr.  Robinson,  concern- 
ing the  making  up  of  his  salary,  about  which  there  is  an 
action  depending  at  the  next  Superior  Court."f  In  that  ac- 
tion, it  appears,  Mr.  Robinson  obtained  judgment  against  the 
town,  the  very  next  month,  for  £412  10s.  6d.$  This  amount 
implies  arrearages  running  back  through  quite  a  number  of 
years. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  1737,  Mr.  Robinson  laid  before  the 
church  a  proposition  for  a  dismissal.  This  is  sufficiently  set 
forth  in  the  following  preamble  and  vote  of  the  town,  on  the 
3d  of  August  following  : 

"  Whereas  there  was  a  church  meeting  in  and  by  ye  church  of  Christ 
in  Duxborough.  on  ye  second  day  of  June,  1737;  and  then  the  Rev.  Mr. 
John  Robinson  their  Pastor  declared,  that  if  y°  town  and  church  would 
give  him  a  dismission  from  his  Pastoral  office  from  among  them,  he  would 
accept  of  it.  And  at  a  town-meeting  in  Duxborough,  August  y°  3d,  1737 
y"  town  voted  to  accept  of  y"  above  sd  Mr.  Robinson's  proposal."§ 


*  Winsor,  Hist,  of  Duxb.  p.  187. 

f  Winsor,  p.  187. 

j  See  his  receipt,  given  below,  dated  Nov.  11,  1739. 

§  MS.  copy  from  N.  M.  Davis,  Esq. 


36  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

This  was  the  vote  of  a  majority,  who  took  sides  against 
Mr.  Robinson.  There  was,  however,  much  diversity  of  opinion 
in  the  meeting ;  and  a  number  of  the  most  respectable  inhab- 
itants entered  a  protest  against  the  whole  controversy.  The 
protest  was  signed  by  Samuel  Alden,  Joseph  Soule,  Philip 
Delano,  Philip  Chandler,  John  Wadsworth,  and  Samuel 
Chandler.  After  much  contention,  the  meeting  finally  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  try  to  make  an  agreement  with  Mr. 
Robin  son.  * 

The  attempt  appears  not  to  have  been  successful.  The 
party  opposed  to  Mr.  Robinson,  which  now  had  the  upper 
hand,  seern  to  have  been  determined  to  drive  him  from  the 
ministry.  No  further  entry  is  found  until  December  5.  1737, 
when  it  was  voted  "  to  pay  the  difference  between  Mr.  Robin- 
son and  the  town,  and  also  the  present  year's  salary,  if  Tie  ivill 
leave  the  ministry."  These  proceedings  were  sent  to  Mr. 
Robinson,  who  at  once  returned  the  following  answer : 

Duxb.  Decem'  5,  1737.  In  answare  to  ye  above  vote,  I  promise  to 
comply  therewith,  if  ye  town  will  make  my  salary  for  y'  current  year 
£l~0,t  and  ye  which  forthwith  payed  and  ye  church  will  give  me  a  dis- 
mission. JOHN  ROBINSON. 

The  meeting  then,  in  view  of  this  compromise,  voted  to 
pay  him  £412  6s.  10d4  (which,  however,  was  not  paid  until 
the  November  following,)  and  the  present  year's  salary.  They 
also  desired  him  to  preach  on  the  next  Sabbath  as  formerly.§ 
As  to  the  £170  spoken  of  as  salary  in  Mr.  Robinson's  note, 
I  must  here,  as  before,  regard  the  term  '  salary '  as  used  in  a 
broad  sense,  so  as  to  cover  other  claims.  || 

It  would  seem,  however,  that  among  the  better  class  of 
the  community  there  was  strong  opposition  to  the  violent 

*  Winsor,  Hist,  of  Duxb.  pp.  187,  188. 

f  The  "  current  year "  appears  to  have  been  reckoned  from  November,  the 
month  in  which  Mr.  Robinson  was  settled. 

\  This  is  probably  a  clerical  error,  for  the  £412  10s.  6d.  specified  in  the  judg- 
ment of  the  court. 

§  Winsor,  p.  188. 

I  See  the  remarks  on  page  35,  at  the  top. 


PART  I.]  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  37 

course  of  the  majority,  and  a  desire  that  Mr.  Robinson  should 
remain  in  the  pastoral  office.  On  the  16th  of  December, 
eleven  days  after  the  preceding  meeting,  the  following  protest 
against  the  proceedings  of  the  majority  was  presented  :  * 

We  the  subscribers,  inhabitants  of  ye  town  of  Duxborough,  being  sen- 
sible of  the  Troubles  and  Contentions  in  ye  sd  town  by  reason  of  a  party 
that  are  not  willing  to  pay  our  minister,  viz.  ye  Rev.  Mr.  John  Robinson, 
so  much  in  value  as  our  engagement  was  to  him  as  to  his  yearly  salarj-, 
when  he  first  settled  among  us;  nor  to  comply  with  ye  judgement  of  Court 
relating  thereto  ;  nor  any  other  wayes  to  agree  with  him  about  y°  same ; 
but  still  are  going  on  in  their  Contentions,  which  have  occasioned  great 
charge  upon  y*  sd  town,  and  is  likely  to  occasion  more,  if  speedy  care  be 
not  taken  to  prevent. 

We  therefore,  whose  names  are  hereunto  written,  do  hereby  declare 
our  aversion  to  y"  maintaining  ye  sd  Contentions,  and  do  protest  against 
paying  any  further  charge  which  may  be  brought  on  ye  sd  town  by  such 
Contentions ;  and  do  declare  our  willingness  to  comply  with  ye  judge- 
ment of  Court  relating  to  y*  above  sd  salary,  and  to  pay  our  parts  of  what 
yet  remains  due  concerning  y"  same,  so  that  sa  Minister  may  be  well  sup- 
ported, and  encouraged  to  continue  in  the  work  of  ye  Ministry  among  us. 

Signed  by  Joseph  Soule,  Isaac  Peterson,  Ebenezer  Sampson,  Moses 
Simeons,  Pelatiah  West,  Philip  Delano,  Joshua  Soule,  John  Simons  (his 
mark),  Amasa  Turner,  John  Sprague  jr.  Thos.  Southworth,  Nathanael 
Fish,  Joshua  Cushman. 

This  protest  seems  to  have  been  of  little  avail.  Either 
the  neglect  of  payment  on  the  part  of  the  town,  or  some  other 
like  cause,  renewed  the  contention.  Mr.  Kobioson,  as  we  have 
seen,  was  not  unwilling  to  receive  a  dismission.  At  a  town 
meeting,  held  July  5,  1738,  a  communication  was  received 
from  him,  stating  "  that  he  did  not  look  upon  himself  as  y° 
minister  of  Duxborough  ;  but  that  he  was  dismissed  by  a  re- 
sult of  an  ecclesiastical  council,  and  said  that  he  would  be  no 
hindrance  to  them  in  procuring  another  minister/'f  What 
council  is  here  referred  to  is  unknown.  Perhaps  Mr.  Robin- 
son meant  only,  that  in  his  own  view  he  was  as  much  dis- 
missed as  if  by  an  ecclesiastical  council.  Or  if  there  was  an 

*  This  protest  is  in  the  MS.  ColL  of  Rev.  Benjamin  Kent.     See  AYinsor,  p.  188 
f  Winsor,  p.  188. 


38  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

actual  council,  it  was  probably  ex  parte,  and  therefore  disre- 
garded by  the  town.  But  there  is  no  other  trace  of  any  such 
council  ;  and  the  fact  that  a  mutual  council  was  afterwards 
regularly  called,  seems  to  imply  that  none  had  been  invited 
before. 

The  majority  now  had  every  thing  in  their  own  way.  On 
the  7th  of  August  a  committee  was  chosen  to  make  up  ac- 
counts with  Mr.  Robinson  "  from  the  beginning  of  the  world 
to  the  present  day."*  These  few  words  exhibit  the  animus 
of  the  majority  ;  but  they  also  imply,  very  definitely,  that 
there  had  been  unsettled  accounts  and  arrearages  of  long 
standing.  Another  meeting  was  held  on  the  25th  of  Septem- 
ber, and  was  adjourned  to  the  3d  of  October  ;  at  which  latter 
time  the  following  vote  was  taken  : 

At  a  town  meeting  held  at  Duxborough  October  y*  3d,  A.  Domini 
1738,  by  an  adjournment  from  Sept.  25th.  1738.  The  said  town  voted, 
that  they  would  not  have  any  thing  to  do  with  ye  Rev1"1  Mr.  Robinson 
as  their  ecclesiastical  minister  or  pastor  in  s*  town ;  and  further,  that  ye 
sd  town  will  not  pay  ye  sd  Mr.  Robinson  any  salary  ever  since  he  left  off 
y*  work  of  the  ministry  and  preaching  ye  Gospel  in  sd  town,  declaring 
solemnly  that  he  was  not  y*  minister  of  Duxborough,  and  that  y*  sd  town 
might  proceed  to  get  another  minister  to  supply  ye  pulpit,  he  would  be 
nothing  against  it;  and  then  ye  sd  town  voted,  that  they  would  join 
with  y'  church  in  procuring  an  ecclesiastical  council  to  dismiss  Mr.  Rob- 
inson from  his  pastoral  office  in  y*  sd  town.f 

The  meeting  was  adjourned  to  the  19th  of  October,  when 
the  following  violent  measure  was  adopted  by  vote,  and  re- 
corded : 

Town  meeting  held  at  Duxborough  by  an  adjournment  till  October  y* 
19,  1738.  Then  y*  town  voted,  that  ther  meting  hous  should  be  shut  up, 
so  that  no  parson  should  open  ye  same,  so  that  Mr.  John  Robrson  of  Dux- 
borough  may  not  get  into  sd  meting  hous  to  preach  anay  more,  without 
orders  from  the  town.J 

That  this  vote  was  the  effect  of  malicious  passion  and  folly, 

*  Winsor,  Hist,  of  Dnxb.  p.  189. 

f  Copied  by  X.  M.  Davis,  Esq.     Winsor,  ibid. 

j  Copied  by  the  same.     Winsor,  ibid. 


PART  I.]  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  39 

is  apparent  from  the  preceding  protest ;  as  also  from  the  pro- 
ceedings and  result  of  the  mutual  council,  which  convened  at 
Duxbury  Nov.  10th,  1738,  and  consented  to  the  dismission  of 
Mr.  Robinson,  because  of  his  age  and  infirmities,  "  and  for  no 
other  reason."  This  last  paper  is  now  before  me  ;  having 
come  into  my  possession  in  the  summer  of  1856.  It  is  a  cer- 
tified copy  of  the  decision  of  the  council,  which  was  put  into 
the  hands  of  Mr.  Kobinson  ;  the  original,  with  the  autographs 
of  the  signers,  having  doubtless  been  delivered  to  the  church. 

An  Ecclesiastical  Council,  consisting  of  the  Elders  and  Delegates  of 
five  churches,  viz.  the  South  and  North  Churches  of  Scituate,  the  Church  of 
Pembroke,  the  Church  of  Kingston,  and  the  Second  Church  of  Plymton, 
met  at  Duxborough  on  Novber  the  10th,  1738,  at  the  Desire  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  John  Robinson,  Pastor  of  the  Church  there,  and  of  Benjamin  Alden, 
James  Arnold,  Gamaliel  Bradford,  William  Brewster,  and  Thomas  Prince, 
a  Committee  for  the  said  Church  and  Town,  in  order  to  the  Dismissing  of 
the  said  Mr.  Robinson  from  his  Pastoral  Relation  to  the  Church  and  Town 
of  Duxborough  ;  he  being  (as  he  declares  in  the  Letters  sent  on  this  occa- 
sion to  our  several  Churches)  by  Reason  of  age  and  infirmities  made 
incapable  of  performing  any  longer  the  work  of  the  ministry. 

The  Elders  and  Delegates  of  the  before  named  churches,  having  formed 
themselves  into  a  Council,  asked  Direction  of  God,  and  maturely  weighed 
the  case  laid  before  them,  came  to  the  following  Result,  viz. 

That  it  is  the  advice  of  this  Council,  that  the  church  of  Duxborough  do 
grant  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  John  Robinson  a  Dismission  from  his  Pastoral 
charge  over  them,  and  give  him  also  a  Recommendation  in  the  following 
words,  viz. 

"  Whereas  our  Rev.  Pastor  Mr.  John  Robinson  manifested  his  desire 
to  us,  some  years  past,  of  being  dismist  from  his  Pastoral  Care  and  Charge 
over  us,  by  reason  of  his  age  and  bodily  infirmities ;  and  hath  lately  re- 
newed his  Request,  for  the  same  Reasons ;  we,  the  church,  have  taken  it 
into  serious  consideration,  and  think  it  proper  to  grant  his  request ;  and 
do  hereby  Dismiss  him  from  his  Pastoral  office  over  us,  and  Relation  to 
us  as  a  Brother  ;  and  recommend  him  to  the  Communion  and  Fellowship 
of  the  Churches  of  Christ,  wherever  the  Providence  of  God  shall  lead  him, 
and  to  the  work  of  the  ministry  also,  as  being  well  qualified  with  minis- 
terial Gifts  and  Graces,  in  the  Exercise  of  which  we  have  many  years 
rejoyced,  and  should  be  glad  if  we  could  enjoy  them  as  in  years  past ;  and 
wishing  that  his  health  may  be  restored  and  confirmed,  and  himself  made 
further  serviceable  in  the  Church  of  Christ,  we  subscribe  our  names,  etc." 

And  this  Council  does,  so  far  forth  as  concerns  them,  concur  with  the 


40  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

said  Church  in  Dismissing  the  said  Mr.  Robinson  from  his  Pastoral  Charge 
over  them,  for  that  (as  he  hath  declared  before  the  Council)  he  is  by  reason 
of  age  and  infirmities  incapable  of  any  longer  performing  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  and  for  no  other  Season;  *  and  we  do  recommend  him  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry  in  any  other  place,  in  case  his  health  should  be 
restored,  as  we  earnestly  wish  it  may. 

NICHOLAS   SEVER  NATH'L   EKLS,  Moderator. 

DAVID   CLAP  DANIEL   LEWIS  . 

BARNABAS   SIIURTLEIF  JOSEPH  STACY 

WRESTLING   BREWSTER  SHEARJB  BOURN 

JACOB  MITCHELL  OTIINIEL   CAMPBELL 

A  true  copy, 

Attest,   D.  LEWIS,    Cleric. 

On  the  day  after  this  action  of  the  Council,  Mr.  Robinson 
gave  the  town  the  following  receipt  for  the  sum  awarded  to 
him  by  the  court : 

Eeceived  of  the  town  agents  £412  10s.  6d.  by  judgement  of  the  Court 
of  Assize,  in  April,  1737. 

Nov.  llth.  1738.  JOHN  ROBINSON. 

This  sum  the  town  had  voted  to  pay,  nearly  a  year  before, 
as  also  the  salary  of  the  current  year.f  Whether  the  latter 
was  ever  paid,  does  not  appear  from  any  record  hitherto  dis- 
covered. 

Thus  terminated  Mr.  Robinson's  official  ministry  of  thirty- 
six  years.  He  had  resided  in  Duxbury  thirty-eight  years  ;  but 
the  ties  which  bound  him  to  the  place  were  now  sundered. 
His  four  surviving  daughters  were  all  married,  and  gone  from 
him.  Only  his  two  sons  remained,  ami  were  unmarried.  Two 
of  his  daughters  resided  in  the  town  of  Lebanon,  Conn,  and 
thither,  it  would  seem,  he  had  already  made  preparations  for 
removing,  in  view  of  the  anticipated  close  of  his  ministry.  By 
a  deed  dated  January  ]  1,  1736,  he  had  conveyed  to  Isaac 
Samson  lands  lying  in  the  neighbouring  town  of  Middleboro' 

*  These  words  are  underscored  in  the  original. 
f  See  vote  of  Dec.  5,  1737,  p.  36,  above. 


PART  L]  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  41 

for  a  consideration  amounting  to  £1,380.°  He  afterwards 
purchased  of  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  Trumbull,f  two  tracts  of 
land  lying  in  Lebanon,  in  the  parish  of  Goshen,  where  the 
husband  of  his  daughter  Elisabeth  was  pastor.  The  convey- 
ance is  dated  May  12,  1737  ;  the  consideration  was  £1,500.:}: 

Accordingly,  in  the  spring  of  1739,  Mr.  Robinson  removed 
to  Lebanon,  with  his  two  sons.  He  sold  his  homestead  in 
Duxbury,  containing  sixty-six  acres,  more  or  less,  to  Robert 
Standford,  for  £800  ;  including  house,  fencing,  orchards,  barn, 
etc.  The  deed  was  dated  May  17,  1739.  The  land  is  de- 
scribed as  bounded,  north,  by  lands  of  Josiah  Wormall ;  south, 
by  lands  of  George  Partridge ;  east,  by  Salt  bay  ;  and  west, 
by  former  common  land  of  Duxbury.§ — Whether  Mr.  Robin- 
son had  intended  to  reside  on  his  land  in  Goshen,  does  not 
appear.  But  if  so,  he  changed  his  mind  ;  and  after  another 
year,  purchased  of  John  and  Israel  Woodward,  for  £1,700,  a 
homestead  and  wood  lot  in  Lebanon  itself.  The  former,  con- 
taining ninety-six  acres,  was  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the 
wide  central  street,  half  a  mile  or  more  north  of  the  meeting- 
house ;  and  was  later  the  residence  of  the  second  Gov.  Trurn- 
bull.  The  conveyance  bears  date  January  10,  1740-1.  || 

Here  Mr.  Robinson  passed  his  few  remaining  years,  ap- 
parently in  quiet  ;  although  no  memorials  of  his  personal 
history  during  this  period  remain.  The  lands  which  he  thus 
purchased,  show  that  he  was  in  possession  of  a  large  real 
estate  ;  and  the  recorded  inventory  of  his  personal  property, 
after  his  decease,  exhibits  bonds,  notes,  and  judgments,  to  an 
amount  of  about  £2,800.  The  total  amount  of  the  specifica- 
tions of  property  in  his  possession  at  this  time,  is  about  £6,000, 
or  $20,000.  It  is  very  obvious,  that  he  did  not  lay  up  this 
sum  in  any  connection  with  his  salary  and  settlements  in  Dux- 

*  Plymouth  Records. — Nov.  19,  1730,  he  had  likewise  conveyed  to  Ebenr  Bar- 
rows land  in  Middleboro'  to  the  amount  of  £  138. 

f  Afterwards  the  first  Governor  Trumbull  of  Connecticut.  At  this  time,  and 
for  years  afterwards,  he  wrote  his  name  Trumble. 

%  Lebanon  Records. 

S  Plymouth  Records,  B.  33,  pp.  28,  29. 

I  Lebanon  Records. 


42  ANCESTORS.  [PAET  I. 

bury.  Wo  may  therefore  reasonably  infer,  that  at  least  the 
larger  portion  of  it  was  received;  by  inheritance,  from  the 
estate  of  his  father. 

However  desirous  he  may  have  been  of  receiving  what  was 
due  to  him,  Mr.  Eobinson  appears  not  to  have  been  niggardly 
in  the  use  of  his  property.  His  fine  library,  and  his  subscrip- 
tion for  six  copies  of  Prince's  Annals,  go  far  to  contradict  such 
an  idea.  There  was  also  in  his  house  quite  an  array  of  silver 
tankards,  cups,  porringers,  and  casters.  Some  of  these  I  have 
seen,  still  in  the  hands  of  his  descendants.  Yet  he  gave  his 
two  sons  only  the  most  ordinary  education  of  the  time.  It  is 
not  certain,  however,  that  they  would  have  been  much  prof- 
ited, had  they  been  sent  to  college.  Their  turn  of  mind  was 
not  literary. 

In  1*743,  probably  in  order  to  relieve  himself  from  further 
care,  Mr.  Robinson  conveyed  all  his  real  estate  in  Lebanon  to 
his  two  sons,  in  consideration  of  "  love  and  affection."  To 
John,  the  elder,  was  given  one  or  both  of  the  tracts  in  Groshen  ; 
which  he  sold  a  few  years  later  for  £1,650.  Ichabod,  the 
younger  son,  who  appears  also  to  have  been  the  favourite, 
received  the  homestead.*  With  him  his  father  continued  to 
reside. 

The  disease  of  which  Mr.  Eobinson  died,  diabetes,  is  usually 
protracted  in  its  nature  ;  but  he  appears  to  have  suffered  little 
until  a  short  time  before  his  decease.  He  died  Nov.  14,  1745, 
aged  seventy-four  years.  A  sermon  was  preached  at  his  funeral, 
from  Gen.  47,  9,  by  the  Rev.  Solomon  Williams,  then  pastor  of 
the  church  in  Lebanon.  Mr.  Robinson  was  interred  in  the 
old  cemetery  of  Lebanon  ;  on  the  hillside  not  far  below  the 
vault  of  the  Trumbull  family.  The  grave-stone  is  much  covered 
with  moss,  and  some  portions  of  the  lettering  are  thus  rendered 
almost  illegible.  The  inscription  is  as  follows  : 


*  The  deeds  bear  date  April  11,  1743,  and  Dec.  13,  1743.  Lebanon  Records. — 
It  was  probably  at  this  time,  that  Mr.  Robinson  likewise  conveyed  to  his  son  Icha- 
bod a  cedar  swamp,  which  still  remained  to  him  in  Duxbury.  It  was  conveyed 
by  Icbabod  Robinson,  after  1793,  to  his  son  John ;  by  whom  it  was  ultimately  sold. 


PART  I.]  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  43 

Here  lies  the  body  of  the 

REV*  MR.  JOHN   ROBINSON, 

late  Pastor  of  the  Church  of 

Christ  in  DUXBUKY  ;  which  charge 

having  faithfully  and  laudably 

sustained  for  the  space  of 

39  years,  he  removed  to 

LEBANON,  where  he  changed  this 

life  for  a  better,  Novr  14th, 

A.  D.  1745.     JEt.  74. 

Sic  Pater,  sic  O,  nnmerare  fluxae 
Nos  doce  vitae  spatium,  caducis 
Mens  ut  a  curis  revocata  veri 
Lumen  honest! 
Cernat —  Buch'n  Psal* 

In  the  Boston  Weekly  Newsletter  of  Nov.  28,  1*745,  ap- 
peared the  following  obituary  notice  of  Mr.  Robinson.  There 
is  every  reason  to  suppose  that  this  notice,  and  also  the  pre- 
ceding epitaph,  are  both  from  the  pen  of  his  son-in-law,  Gov. 
Trumbull. 

Lebanon  in  Connecticut,) 
Nov.  16th.  J 

This  Day  was  decently  interred  the  Body  of  the  REV.  MR.  JOHN  ROB- 
INSON ;  who  after  about  a  Fortnight's  illness  of  the  Diabetes,  deceased  on 
the  14th  inst.  J£t.  74. — He  was  born  in  Dorchester ;  and  educated  in 
Harvard  College,  Cambridge.  At  his  first  setting  out  in  the  Evangelical 
Ministry  he  was  sent  to  preach  the  Gospel  at  Newcastle  in  Pennsylvania ; 
from  whence,  after  some  time,  he  returned  to  his  Native  Country,  and  in 
the  year  1700f  was  ordained  to  the  Pastoral  Office  over  the  Church  of 
Christ  in  Duxbury,  where  he  continued  till  the  year  1739  ;  when  by  reason 
of  bodily  weakness,  and  some  Difficulties  arising  on  Account  of  a  civil 
Contract  between  him  and  the  People,  he  was  dismissed  from  his  Pastoral 
relation  to  them,  by  a  Council  of  the  Neighbouring  Churches,  with  a  fair 
Recommendation. — After  which  he  removed  with  the  Remainder  of  his 
Family  to  Lebanon ;  where  he  had  several  of  his  Children  comfortably  and 
creditably  settled ;  among  whom  he  spent  the  Remainder  of  his  days. — He 
was  a  learned  and  sound  Divine ;  laborious  and  faithful  in  his  Master's 
Vineyard.  In  civil  life  he  was  just,  generous,  of  a  cheerful  and  pleasant 

*  From  Buchanan's  version  of  Ps.  91,  12. 

f  We  have  seen  above,  that  he  was  called  in  1700,  but  ordained  in  1702. 


44  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

Disposition,  and  a  faithful  Friend. — His  Funeral  Sermon  was  preached  by 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Solomon  Williams  of  Lebanon,  from  Gen.  47,9. 

The  will  of  Mr.  Bobinson  was  executed  Nov.  8,  1745,  six 
days  before  his  death  ;  and  was  proved  and  recorded  on  the 
10th  of  December.  The  following  is  an  authentic  copy  :* 

WILL    OF    EEV.    JOHN    ROBINSON. 

In  the  name  of  God,  Amen.  This  8th  day  of  November,  1745,1,  John 
Robinson  of  Lebanon  in  ye  county  of  Windham  and  Colony  of  Connecti- 
cut in  New  England,  being  sick  and  weak  in  body,  but  of  sound  mind  and 
memory,  thanks  be  given  unto  God  ;  being  sensible  of  my  own  mortality, 
and  knowing  that  it  is  appointed  unto  all  men  once  to  die;  Do  make  and 
ordain  this  my  last  Will  and  Testament.  That  is  to  say  : 

Principally  and  first  of  all  I  give  and  recommend  my  soul  to  God,  who 
gave  it ;  and  my  body  to  the  earth,  to  be  buried  in  decent  Christian  man- 
ner, at  the  discretion  of  my  Executors ;  in  certain  hope  of  the  Resurrection 
to  Eternal  Life  through  the  merits  and  by  the  mighty  power  of  Jesus 
Christ  our  Redeemer,  the  Lord  of  ye  living  and  ye  dead. 

And  as  touching  such  worldly  Estate,  wherewith  it  hath  pleased  God 
to  bless  me  in  this  life,  after  all  my  just  debts  and  funeral  expenses  are 
paid,  I  give,  demise  and  bequeath  y"  same  in  y"  manner  and  form  following : 

Impr.  To  my  eldest  son,  John,  I  give  one  quarter  of  my  Books  ;  my 
Gold  buttons  ;  my  Gun  and  Cane ;  and  meanest  bed  and  furniture  for  it ; 
and  my  pewter  Alembic  and  Hatchet ;  and  my  Eiding  Rod  and  a  silver 
porringer. 

Item.  To  my  son  Ichabod,  I  give  my  best  Bed  and  Curtains  and  other 
furniture  belonging  to  it ;  as  also  my  silver  Tankard  and  two  silver  Spoons  ; 
and  one  quarter  of  my  Books. 

Item.  To  my  daughter  Alethea  Stiles.  I  give  one  quarter  of  my  Books  ; 
and  one  hundred  pounds  money,  old  tenor,  to  be  paid  her  by  my  Executors, 
as  I  hereafter  order  in  this  my  will. 

Item.  To  my  daughter  Betty  Eliot  I  give  two  hundred  pounds  money, 
old  tenor,  to  be  paid  her  by  my  Executors,  as  I  hereafter  order. 

Item.  To  my  daughter  Faith  Trumbull,  I  give  one  quarter  of  my  Books  ; 
as  also  my  Brass  Kettle  and  Looking  Glass  which  she  has  in  her  custody  ; 
and  Two  Hundred  pounds  money,  old  tenor,  to  be  "paid  her  by  my  Exec- 
utors, as  I  hereafter  order. 

Item.  To  my  Grand-daughter.  Hannah  Thomas,  I  give  one  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds  money,  old  tenor,  to  be  paid  her  also  by  my  Executors, 
as  I  hereafter  order. 

*  Windham  Probate  Records.  Lebanon  at  that  time  belonged  to  the  Probate 
district  of  Windham. 


PART  L]  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  45 

And  my  will  is,  that  excepting  those  things  which  I  have  above  par- 
ticularly named,  and  given  away  to  my  two  sons  and  my  daughters  Stiies 
and  Trumbull, — that  my  two  sons,  John  and  Ichabod,  shall  have  all  ye 
rest  of  my  estate  real  and  personal,  wherever  and  whatever  it  be,  to  be 
equally  divided  between  them  ;  and  that  out  of  it  they  shall  pay  equally. 
or  each  of  them  in  ye  same  manner  and  proportion,  all  y"  several  legacies. 
which  I  have  above  given  to  my  three  daughters  and  to  my  Grand-daugh- 
ter, within  one  year  next  after  my  decease ;  except  the  legacy  to  my 
Grand-daughter,  Hannah  Thomas,  which  my  will  is  should  be  paid  on  her 
marriage,  or  on  her  arriving  at  the  age  of  21  years. — The  rest  of  my  estate, 
as  aforesaid,  to  my  two  sons,  and  to  their  heirs  forever. 

Furthermore,  I  do  hereby  constitute,  ordain,  and  appoint  my  said  two 
Sons,  John  and  Ichabod,  to  be  y*  sole  Executors  of  this  my  last  Will  and 
Testament ;  ratifying  and  confirming  this  and  no  other  to  be  my  last  Will ; 
hereby  revoking,  disallowing,  and  making  null  and  void  all  other  wills, 
demises,  and  bequests,  and  Executors  by  me  made  ;  holding  this  and  no 
other  to  be  my  last  Will  and  Testament. 

Dated  at  Lebanon  the  day  and  year  above  or  before  written. 

Signed,  sealed,  published, 
pronounced,  and  declared  by  the  said 
John  Robinson  to  be  his  last  Will 
and  Testament,  in  presence  of  us, 

ANDREW  ALDEN 

ISAIAH  WILLIAMS  JoHN  ROBINSON.      L.  S. 

(  SOLOMON  WILLIAMS. 

The  legatees  in  the  above  will  comprise  the  names  of  all 
Mr.  Robinson's  surviving  children,  and  that  of  his  grand- 
daughter, Hannah  Thomas.* 

The  inventory  of  the  personal  estate,  not  including  books, 
amounted  to  £3,032  8s.  9d.  Of  this,  as  has  been  already 
related,  the  large  proportion  of  £2,797  11s.  9d.  consisted  of 
bonds,  notes,  and  judgments.  The  real  estate  in  Lebanon  had 
all  been  previously  conveyed  to  his  sons. 


*  I  have  seen  it  somewhere  reported,  that  Mr.  Robinson,  in  his  will,  gave  to 
his  son  Ichabod  £2,000  and  lands,  and  a  negro  man  Jack;  to  his  daughter  Alethea 
£400,  etc.  Such  statements  are  disproved  by  the  will  itself. 


46  ANCESTORS.  [PART  L 

DESCENDANTS  or  REV.  JOHN  ROBINSON. 

Of  the  seven  children  of  Mr.  Robinson,  who  lived  to  adult 
years,  the  youngest,  ICHABOD,  is  the  subject  of  the  next  ar- 
ticle. The  eldest,  MARY,  as  we  have  seen,  was  drowned  with 
her  mother.  A  few  brief  notices  of  the  remaining  five,  with 
their  children  and  grandchildren,  may  not  be  out  of  place 
here.* 

HANNAH  married  Nathanael  Thomas  of  Kingston  (then 
a  part  of  Plymouth),  Sept.  1,  1729  ;  died  Feb.  19,  1730-1. 
Their  only  daughter  was  HANNAH,  mentioned  in  her  grand- 
father's will.  She  married  Col.  John  Thomas,  of  Kingston  ; 
and  was  the  mother  of  a  second  Col.  John  Thomas,  and  of  the 
wife  of  the  Rev.  Zeplianiah  Willis  of  Kingston.!  The  follow- 
ing entry  of  his  daughter  Hannah's  death  was  made  by  Mr. 
Robinson  in  his  family  record  : 

1730-1,  February  19.  God  was  pleased  to  take  out  of  this  world,  and 
I  hope  unto  himself,  my  very  dear  and  pleasent  daughter,  Hannah  Thomas. 
She  had  but  a  short  sickness.  She  was  in  y"  23  yr  of  her  age.  She  died 
of  a  fever;  and  has  left  my  poor  and  distressed  family  in  deep  affliction 
and  sorrow.  She  died  about  10  of  the  clock  in  the  evening. 

ALETHEA  married  Rev.  Abel  Stiles  of  Woodstock, 
Conn,  an  uncle  of  Pres.  Stiles. — "  Mr.  Stiles  was  minister  of 
the  first  society  in  Woodstock.  This  society,  at  the  time  of 
his  settlement,  composed  the  eastern  half  of  the  town  ;  and 
during  his  ministry  was  divided  into  two  parishes.  Mr.  Stiles 
went  to  the  north  parish,  called  Muddy  Brook,  and  lived  there 
until  his  death.  Mrs.  Stiles  had  but  one  child,  a  daughter, 
who  married  Hadlock  Marcy.  Their  only  child,  a  daughter, 
married  a  Captain  Fox  ;  whose  daughter,  Mary  Fox,  married 
a  Mr.  Freeman."  $ 

*  For  the  birth  of  all  the  children,  see  Mr.  Robinson's  family  record,  above 
given,  p.  25. 

t  Deane'sHist.  of  Scituate,  p.  400;  Winsor's  Hist,  of  Duxb.  p.  184. 

J  From  MS.  notes  of  the  late  John  McClellan,  Esq.  of  Woodstock,  Conn. 
These  I  copied  in  1845.  They  were  then  in  the  hands  of  the  lute  Mrs.  Faith 
Wadsworth,  wife  of  Daniel  Wadsworth,  Esq.  of  Hartford,  Conn.  Mrs.  Wadsworth. 
was  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  second  Gov.  Trumbull. 


PART  I.]  KEY.  JOHN  ROBINSON.  47 

BETTY  married  Rev.  Jacob  Eliot  of  Goshen,  a  parish  in 
Lebanon,  Conn,  and  died  March  15,  1758.—"  Mr.  Eliot,  the 
minister  of  Goshen,  married  a  Miss  Robinson.  Her  sister, 
who  married  Gov.  Trumbull,  came  from  Duxbury  to  visit  her  ; 
where,  as  I  have  been  informed,  the  acquaintance  took  place 
between  her  and  her  husband.* — Mrs.  Eliot  had  one  daughter, 
who  married  a  minister  by  the  name  of  Ripley,  and  lived  in 
Abingdon,  a  parish  in  Pomfret,  Conn. 

"  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Eliot  married  a 
second  wife  ;  who  tormented  the  poor  man  all  his  life  after. 
I  have  his  journal  of  the  '  venged  quarrels,'  as  he  called  them, 
which  he  had  with  her  from  day  to  day."  f 

JOHN  appears  to  have  led  a  somewhat  unstable  life.  He 
married  a  Miss  Hinckley  of  Lebanon,  January  17, 1743,  nearly 
three  years  before  his  father's  death.  He  at  first,  as  we  have 
seen,  resided  in  Goshen  ;  but  in  1747  sold  his  land  there,  and 
purchased  of  Thomas  Martin  a  smaller  farm  in  Lebanon.  In 
1755,  June  22,  he  removed  to  Portsmouth,  N.  H.  where  he 
taught  school.  He  afterwards  returned  to  Lebanon  ;  and  died 
Aug.  21,  1784,  at  the  house  of  his  son  Samuel,  in  New  Con- 
cord, a  parish  of  Norwich,  Conn,  now  the  town  of  Bozrah.  % 

His  son  SAMUEL  Robinson,  was  born  June  7,  1752.  He 
first  resided  in  New  Concord  (Bozrah)  ;  but  afterwards  re- 
moved and  died  at  Oxford,  N.  Y.  March  2,  1815.  He  left 
several  children  :  John  W.  Robinson,  born  April  5,  1779, 
lived  at  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.  where  he  died  not  far  from  the  year 
1840,  leaving  a  son.  In  1847  two  brothers  were  said  to  be 
living  in  Oxford,  N.  Y.  and  also  a  brother  Andrew  at  Nor- 
wich (Bozrah  ?)  Conn.  §  In  1853,  or  thereabout,  an  An- 
drew Robinson,  aged  about  60  years,  perhaps  the  same,  went 

*  Winsor  says  :  "  Mr.  Trumbull  became  acquainted  with  her  while  on  a  visit 
to  Duxbury  on  business ; "  Hist,  of  Duxbury,  p.  185.  The  statement  in  the  text  is 
the  family  tradition  ;  and  is  the  more  probable,  as  Mr.  Trumbull  was  the  owner  of 
lands  in  Goshen,  and  lived  near  by. 

f  MS.  rotes  of  J.  McClellan,  Esq.     See  note  on  p.  46. 

\  From  the  family  record  of  John  Robinson  jr.  in  the  hands  of  the  widow  of 
John  W.  Robinson  of  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.  Copied  by  me  in  1847.  Wiusor's  note  on 
him  is  incorrect;  Hist,  of  Duxb.  p.  184. 

§  Family  record  ;   see  the  preceding  note. 


48  ANCESTORS.  [PABT  I. 

from  the  south-western  part  of  Lebanon,  Conn,  to  Galveston 
in  Texas,  where  he  died.* 

FAITH,  the  youngest  daughter,  married  Jonathan  Truru- 
bnll  of  Lebanon,  Conn.  Dec.  9, 1735,f  and  died  May  31, 1780. 
They  had  six  children  who  lived  to  adult  years,  viz. 

JOSEPH,  born  March  11,  1737,  was  the  first  commissary- 
general  of  the  army  of  the  Revolution.  He  married  Amelia 
Wyllys,  and  died  without  issue  July  22,  1778,  aged  41  years. 

JONATHAN,  the  second  Governor  Trumbull,  born  March  26, 
1740,  died  in  office  Aug.  7,  1809,  aged  69  years.  He  resided 
in  Lebanon.  Two  sons  died  in  infancy.  His  three  daughters 
were  :  Faith,  born  Feb.  1, 1769  ;  married  Daniel  Wadsworth 
of  Hartford  ;  died  October  19, 1846.  Harriet,  born  Septem- 
ber 2,  1783  ;  married  Professor  iSilliman ;  died  January  18, 
1850.  Maria,  born  February  14,  1785  ;  married  Henry  Hud- 
son of  Hartford  ;  died  Nov.  23,  1805,  aged  21  years. 

FAITH,  born  Jan.  25,  1743  ;  married  Jedediah  Hunting- 
ton  of  Norwich,  and  died  at  Dedham,  Mass,  in  a  state  of 
mental  derangement,  Nov.  24, 17754  She  left  one  child,  the 
late  Deacon  Jabcz  Huntington  of  Norwich.  A  daughter  of  his 
became  the  first  wife  of  the  Eev.  Eli  Smith  D.  D.  missionary 
at  Beirut. 

MARY,  born  July  16,  1745  ;  married  William  Williams, 
son  of  the  Rev.  Solomon  Williams  D.  D.  of  Lebanon,  and  one 
of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence ;  she  died 
February  9, 1831.  Their  children  were  :  Solomon,  who  lived 
on  the  family  homestead  ;  William  T.  a  lawyer  in  Lebanon  ; 
and  Faith,  who  married  John  McClellan,  Esq.  of  Woodstock. 

DAVID,  born  Feb.  5,  1751,  resided  in  Lebanon  ;  died 
Jan.  19,  1822.  His  children  were :  Sarah,  married  her 
cousin,  William  T.  Williams ;  Abigail,  married  Peter  Lan- 
man  of  Norwich  ;  Joseph,  the  third  Governor  Trumbull,  re- 
sides in  Hartford  ;  John,  resides  in  Colchester  ;  Jonathan 
G.  W.  resided  in  Norwich,  and  died  a  few  years  since. 

*  Communicated  by  L.  Hebard,  Esq.  of  Lebanon. 

f  See  above,  p.  47,  and  note. 

\  See  Col.  TrumbulPs  Autobiography,  p.  22. 


PART  I.]  ICHABOD  ROBINSON.  49 

JOHN,  well  known  as  Col.  Trumbull  the  Painter,  born 
June  6,  1756,  died  in  New  York  Nov.  10, 1843.  He  married 
an  English  lady,  but  had  no  children.  He  published  an  Auto- 
biography, New  York,  1841. 

The  eldest  Gov.  Trumbull  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
men  in  the  history  of  Connecticut.  He  was  a  native  of  Leba- 
non, born  Oct.  12,  1710  ;  and  graduated  at  Harvard  College 
in  1727.  He  studied  theology  ;  was  admitted  by  the  church 
to  full  communion,  Dec.  30, 1730  ;  and  was  invited  to  become 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Colchester.  But  being  called  to  settle 
the  estate  of  his  brother,  who  was  lost  at  sea,  he  turned  his 
attention  to  secular  business.  In  his  twenty-third  year  he 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  ;  was  elected 
to  the  Council  in  1740  ;  became  Deputy  Governor  in  1766  ; 
and  Governor  in  1769.  This  office  he  held  during  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  until  A.  D.  1783,  when  he  declined  a  re-election.  He 
died  Aug.  17, 1785.*  He  was  a  man  of  piety,  of  incorruptible 
integrity,  of  sound  practical  judgment,  and  was  a  wise  and 
prudent  counsellor.  As  a  patriot  and  statesman,  he  merited 
and  enjoyed  the  unreserved  confidence  of  Washington  ;  and 
rendered  great  services  to  the  cause  of  his  country. 


IV.. 

ICHABOD  ROBINSON  OF  LEBANON. 

ICHABOD,  the  youngest  son  of  the  Rev.  John  Robinson, 
was  born,  as  we  have  seen,  at  Duxbury,  Dec.  12,  1720.  f  He 
was  named  apparently  after  his  maternal  grandfather,  the 
Rev.  Ichabod  Wiswall ;  J  and,  before  he  was  two  years  old, 
lost  his  mother  by  the  sad  catastrophe  already  related.  In 
1739  he  removed  with  his  father  to  Lebanon,  Conn,  where  he 
succeeded  to  his  father's  homestead,  as  above  narrated. 

*  See  Rev.  Mr.  Ely's  Funeral  Sermon  on  the  death  of  the  first  Gov.  Trum- 
bull, delivered  August  19,  1785. 

{See  the  family  record  of  the  Rev.  John  Robinson,  above,  p.  25. 
See  above,  page  25. 

4 


50  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

This  house  and  farm  of  ninety-six  acres  he  exchanged  in 
1746  with  his  brother-in-law,  Jonathan  Trumbull,  for  a  smaller 
tract  of  twenty-nine  acres,  situated  south  of  the  former,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  same  wide  main  street,  nearly  half  a  mile 
north  of  the  meeting-house.  The  deeds  of  exchange  are  dated, 
the  one,  Robinson's,  Sept.  23,  1746  ;  the  other,  TrumbuH's, 
Nov.  20, 1746.  The  consideration  of  the  first  is  £2300  ;  that 
of  the  second  £1200.  This  new  homestead,  with  its  dwelling- 
house  built  in  the  fashion  of  the  olden  time,  with  a  long  low 
back  roof,  or  lean-to,  became  the  permanent  residence  of 
Mr.  Robinson.  The  old  and  decayed  mansion  was  torn  away 
some  thirty  years  ago;  and  its  place  is  now  occupied  by  a 
modern  dwelling,  erected  by  the  present  proprietor,  L.  Hebard, 
Esq. 

Here  Ichabod  Robinson  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  as 
an  intelligent  and  respected  country  merchant.  He  made  his 
purchases  chiefly  in  Boston  ;  and  sometimes  imported  goods 
through  that  city  from  England.  His  shop,  which  was  not 
large,  stood  on  the  line  of  the  street,  in  the  north-western 
corner  of  his  front  yard  ;  and  partly  (if  I  remember  rightly)  in 
front  of  the  dwelling-house.  Here  in  later  years  was  his  library; 
and  many  an  hour  have  I,  as  a  boy,  sat  there  in  his  great  arm- 
chair and  devoured  his  books. 

In  May,  1747,  Jonathan- Trumbull  of  Lebanon  was  made 
Judge  of  Probate  for  the  district  of  Windharn ;  which  office 
he  held  for  twenty-one  years.  He  at  once  appointed  his 
brother-in-law,  Ichabod  Robinson,  to  be  Clerk  of  that  court ; 
and  he  held  this  post  during  the  whole  time  that  Mr.  Trum- 
bull continued  to  be  Judge,  and  until  June,  1768.  So  far  as 
I  can  learn,  this  was  the  only  public  office  to  which  Mr.  Rob- 
inson was  ever  appointed  ;  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two 
inferior  trusts  in  the  town,  such  as  key-keeper  in  1765,  and 
gauger  from  1750  to  1770.* 

He  was  twice  married.     His  first  wife  was  Mary  Hyde,  to 

*  His  name  is  not  found  in  the  State  Records  at  Hartford  ;  neither  as  Repre- 
sentative nor  as  Justice  of  the  Peace.  For  the  other  offices  see  the  town  records 
of  Lebanon. 


PAKT  I.]  ICHABOD  ROBINSON.  51 

whom  he  was  united  May  25,  1749.  She  was  the  second 
daughter  of  Capt.  Caleb  Hyde  of  Lebanon  and  his  wife 
Elizabeth  Blackman.  This  Capt.  Hyde  was  the  fourth  son  of 
the  second  Samuel  Hyde,  who  was  a  grandson  of  William  Hyde, 
one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  Norwich,  Conn.  His  daugh- 
ter, Mrs.  Eobinson,  was  born  July  3, 1731 ;  and  died  without 
issue,  July  1,  1750,  aged  nineteen  years. 

Mr.  Robinson's  second  wife  was  Lydia  Brown,  a  cousin  of 
the  first  wife  ;  to  whom  he  was  married  January  16, 1752. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Ebenezer  Brown  of  Lebanon,  a  repu- 
table farmer,  and  Sarah  Hyde  his  wife,  a  sister  of  Caleb  Hyde 
above  mentioned,  and  great  grand-daughter  of  the  same  William 
Hyde  of  Norwich.*  Their  daughter  Lydia  (Mrs.  Robinson) 
was  born  March  19,  1720  ;  and  died  August  23,  1778.  Mr. 
Robinson  had  by  her  six  children,  five  of  whom,  three  sons  and 
two  daughters,  lived  to  adult  years. 

The  following  is  the  family  record  of  Ichabod  Robinson,  in 
his  own  hand-writing  ;  it  forms  a  continuation  (in  the  same 
Bible)  of  that  of  his  father,  the  Rev.  John  Robinson. 

Thursday,  May  25,  1749.  Between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  p.  M.  I  was 
married  to  MARY  HIDE,  now  Mary  Robinson,  per  the  Rev.  Jacob  Eliot  of 
Goshen  in  Lebanon. 

Sabbath  day  evening,  July  y'  1,  1750.  At  f  after  9  o'clock,  God  was 
Pleased  to  take  out  of  This  "World,  and,  I  Trust,  to  his  Kingdom  of  Glory 
above,  my  very  dear,  Pleasent,  Loving,  Pious,  and  Virtuous  Wife,  Mary 
Robinson,  after  eleven  days  sickness  with  a  Dysentery.  Help,  0  mighty 
God,  or  I  fail ! — She  was  Born  July  the  3d,  1731 ;  aged  nineteen  years 
wanting  Two  days  And  her  remains  were  decently  Interred  the  next 
Day  toward  Evening. 

She  died  committing  her  Soul  into  The  hands  of  Jesus  Christ,  her 
dear  Redeemer ;  and  went  rejoycing  out  of  This  world  of  Sin,  Sorrow, 
Teers,  and  Paine,  To  Christ  her  Espoused  Husband  and  Head,  where  all 

*  Ebenezer  and  Sarah  Brown  had  three  sons,  John,  Joseph,  and  Daniel  Brown ; 
and  three  daughters,  Martha  Mason,  wife  of  Elijah  Mason,  Ann  Bissell,  and  Lydia 
Robinson ;  as  appears  from  the  last  will  of  the  said  Ebenezer  Brown,  dated  May 
18,  1755,  now  in  my  possession. — Mrs.  Sarah  Brown,  or,  as  she  was  later  called, 
Widow  Sarah  Brown  the  elder,  was  born  in  1G97;  married  Ebenezer  Brown, 
February  25, 1714;  and  died  March  1,  1797,  aged  one  hundred  years.  Her  ex- 
ecutor was  Joseph  Robinson,  her  grandson.  For  most  of  these  data  respecting  the 
Hyde  family,  I  am  indebted  to  the  kindness  of  the  lion.  R.  Hyde  Walworth. 


52  ANCESTORS.  [PAST  I. 

Sin,  Sorrow,  and  Paine  shall  be  Seen  and  Felt  no  more,  and  all  Tcers 
shall  be  wiped  from  her  Eyes. 

Now,  0  Lord,  what  wait  I  For  ?  My  help  and  hope  are  all  in  theen 
0,  may  thy  grace  be  sufficient  for  me  in  this  my  Great  Distress  !  May  I 
be  also  ready  to  go  at  thy  Call,  as  thy  Handmaid  was. 

We  were  denied  the  Great  Blessing  of  children  ;  tho'  we  had  more  than 
once  the  Prospect  of  it.  Children  are  the  heritage  of  the  Lord.  No, 
0  Lord,  give  me  thy  Grace,  and  that  is  enough. 

Thursday,  IGth  January,  A.  D.  1752.  Ichabod  Robinson  and  LYDIA 
BROWN,  daughter  to  Ebcuezer  Brown  of  Lebanon,  were  married  at  my 
own  House,  between  7  and  8  o'clock  p.  M.  per  the  Rev.  Mr.  Solomon 
Williams. 

Saturday,  ktli  day  of  November,  A.  D.  1752,  1ST.  S.  At  half  after  10 
o'clock  A.  M.  our  First  Child  and  Son  Bourn  ;  and  Baptised  the  next  Daj', 
being  Sabbath  day,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Sol"  Williams,  by  the  Christian  name 
of  JOSEPH. 

Thursday,  15th  August,  A.  D.  1754.  Just  at  9  o'clock  P.M.  our  second 
Son  and  Child  was  Born  ;  and  Baptised  the  next  Sunday,  by  the  Christian 
Name  of  WILLIAM,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Solomon  Williams. 

Sunday,  28th  day  .of  December,  A.  Domine  1755.  One  quarter  after 
11  o'clock  in  the  Evening,  our  Third  Child  was  Born  (a  daughter)  ;  and 
Baptised  the  Sunday  Following,  by  the  Christian  Name  of  MARY,  by  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Solomon  Williams,  being  Jany  4th,  175G. 

Thursday,  20th  day  of  October,  1757.  Five  o'clock  A.  M.  our  Fourth 
Child  born;  and  Baptised  the  Sunday  Following  per  ye  Rev.  Mr.  Solomon 
Williams,  by  the  Christian  Name  of  LYDIA. 

Saturday,  the  26th  day  of  April,  1760.  At  39  minets  after  1  o'clock 
p.  M.  our  Fifth  Child  was  born  (a  Son)  ;  I  being  in  the  Room  ;  Mrs.  Clark 
the  midwife  Coming  in  a  Critical  moment  For  the  Life  of  the  Child ;  and 
was  Baptised  the  next  day  By  the  Rev.  Mr.  Sol0  William,  by  the  Christian 
Name  of  JOHN. 

Tuesday,  the  llth  October,  1763.  Just  -J-  after  10  o'clock  P.  M.  our 
Sixth  Child,  a  Son,  was  born  ;  and  Baptised  the  next  Sunday  save  one,  by 
Mr.  Williams,  By  the  Christian  Name  of  ERNEST. 

Sunday,  13th  January,  1765.  At  35  minits  after  4  o'clock  p.  M.  a 
day  to  be  Remembered,  departed  this  Life  our  dear  Son  ERNEST,  of  a  Can- 
ker, after  about  a  week  Illness,  aged  15  months  and  2  days ;  a  very  Extra- 
ordinary Child.  Help,  0  Lord. 

Lord's  day,  23d  August,  1778.  At  J  after  5  o'clock  p.  M.  my  Dear 
Pleasent,  Pious,  Virtious  Wife,  LYDIA  ROBINSON,  was  Taken  out  of  this 
world  to  the  Heavenly  World,  I  trust ;  after  a  long,  lingering  disorder. 
She  was  born  in  March,  1720. 

Wednesday,  llth  October,  1780.     At  8  minits  after  10  o'clock  A.  M. 


PART  L]  ICHABOD  ROBINSON.  53 

Departed  this  Life,  my  Dear,  Pleasent,  Lovely  Daughter.  MARY  ROBIXSOX. 
of  an  unusual  sore-throat  of  2i  years,  in  grate  distress  ;  and  died  at  last 
by  Starving  to  Death. — She  and  her  Blessed  mother,  whose  death  is  re- 
corded above,  both  Died  in  a  Chereful  and  firme  Expectation  of  the  mercy 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  Eternal  Life.  Hebrews  G,  12. 

Mr.  Robinson  continued  his  mercantile  occupation  during 
the  Revolution,  and  for  some  years  afterwards.  His  business 
seems  to  have  afforded  him  the  means  of  a  comfortable 
support  for  himself  and  family.  But  he  appears  not  to  have 
accumulated  any  great  amount  of  property  ;  or  if  so,  it  was  in 
great  part  lost,  probably  by  the  depreciation  of  the  continental 
currency.  In  his  letters  to  his  son  William  in  New  Haven, 
from  1770  to  1776,  his  language  is  that  of  a  man  without 
much  ready  money,  and  with  few  regular  receipts.  At  the 
close  of  his  life,  the  homestead  was  about  all  that  remained. 

He  seems  to  have  been  very  much  of  a  fixture,  and  very 
rarely  left  his  home.  He  made,  of  course,  occasional  journeys 
to  Boston  in  connection  with  his  business  ;  and  once  took  his 
daughter  Mary  with  him.  Once  too  he  and  his  wife  travelled 
as  far  as  New  Haven,  while  their  son  William  was  in  College. 
But  he  never  visited  his  son  after  the  latter  was  settled  in 
Southington;  although  earnestly  entreated  to  do  so. 

If  I  may  trust  my  childish  recollections,  Ichabod  Robinson, 
my  grandfather,  was  a  man  rather  above  the  medium  height, 
and  in  his  old  age  of  a  spare  form.  But  my  memory  only 
goes  back  to  a  time,  when  he  was  at  least  eighty  years  old. 
My  father,  in  his  semi-annual  visits  to  his  parent,  sometimes 
took  me  along  ;  and  I  have  a  distinct,  though  I  can  hardly  say 
a  pleasing  impression  of  my  ancestor.  It  was  his  habit,  I 
remember,  to  drink  only  ram  water,  as  the  purest ;  but  it  was 
caught  from  the  roof,  and  stood  long  in  the  large  tub. 

He  is  still  remembered  by  many  in  Lebanon,  after  the 
lapse  of  half  a  century,  as  a  man  respected  indeed,  but  not 
beloved  ;  of  a  disposition  inclining  to  be  peevish  and  irritable  ; 
of  good  intentions,  but  in  some  respects  eccentric.  My  father 
used  to  say  of  him,  that  he  was  prone  to  despondency,  and 


54  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

always  looked  at  the  dark  side  of  things  ;  while  his  wife  pre- 
ferred to  look  at  the  bright  side.  In  my  visits  as  a  boy,  I 
have  no  recollection  of  a  single  kind  word  or  look  from  him  ; 
while  from  Aunt  Nabby  Hyde,  as  she  was  called,  one  of  the 
excellent  of  the  earth,  who  was  a  friend  of  the  family  and  often 
present,  I  remember  very  many  words  and  deeds  of  kindness.* 

In  a  letter  from.  Col.  John  Trumbull  to  my  father,  dated 
July  29,  1775,  written  from  the  camp  at  Roxbury,  allusion  is 
made  to  a  continued  .state  of  ill  feeling  between  the  families  ; 
which,  however,  did  not  extend  to  the  children.  The  occasion 
of  this  ill  feeling  is  unknown.  It  is  not,  however,  impossible, 
that  the  jealousy  of  a  narrow  and  querulous  mind  may  have  been 
excited  at  the  success  and  influence  of  a  brother-in-law  ;  and 
therefore  suspicion  indulged,  and  offence  taken,  where  there 
was  no  just  ground.  It  is  not  probable,  that  a  man  like  Gov. 
Trumbull  would  in  such  a  case  put  himself  in  the  wrong. 

Several  anecdotes  are  still  related,  as  exemplifying  Mr. 
Robinson's  character  and  temper.  One  pleasant  morning, 
some  young  relatives,  who  were  visiting  at  his  house  rather 
longer  than  he  desired,  addressed  him  :  "  A  fine  morning, 
Uncle."  "  Yes,  yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  fine  morning  for  cousins 
to  go  home."f 

He  once  had  a  quantity  of  hay  cut  ;  which  was  caught  in 
several  showers,  and  nearly  spoiled.  At  last,  after  great  effort, 
on  a  fine  sunny  day,  he  had  succeeded  in  drying  it ;  and  had 
just  commenced  carting,  when  a  cloud  suddenly  arose,  and  the 
rain  came  down  in  torrents  upon  the  hay.  His  neighbour  Mr. 
Alden  was  passing,  and  remarked  :  "  A  fine  shower,  Mr.  Rob- 

*  ABIGAIL  HYDE  was  the  youngest  daughter  of  the  third  Samuel  Hyde,  a 
brother  of  Caleb  Hyde  and  of  Sarah  wife  of  Ebenezer  Brown.  She  was  therefore  first 
cousin  to  both  the  first  and  the  second  wife  of  Ichabod  Robinson.  This  Samuel 
Hyde  married,  January  14,  1725,  Priscilla  Bradford,  a  great  grand-daughter  of 
Governor  William  Bradford  of  the  Mayflower.  Their  daughter  Abigail  was  born 
at  Lebanon,  November  4,  1744  ;  and  died  unmarried  late  in  1830,  aged  eighty- 
six  years.  No  record  of  her  death  is  found  in  Lebanon  ;  but  her  last  \ViIl  was  laid 
before  the  Court  of  Probate  January  4,  1831.  I  well  remember  her  as  a  lady  of 
gentle  demeanour,  great  tact,  and  a  pattern  of  good  works.  In  the  Robinson  and 
•Trumbull  families  she  was  always  a  welcome  friend. — Comp.  MS.  Letters  of  the 
Hon.  R.  Hyde  Walworth  and  L.  Hebard  Esq. 

f  For  this  trait,  see  further  the  letter  of  Prof.  Silliman,  p.  57. 


PART  I.]  ICHABOD  ROBINSON.  55 

inson,  truly  refreshing/'  Mr.  Robinson  was  not  in  a  mood  to 
be  congratulated,  and  replied  :  "  You  walk  along,  Mr.  Alden  ; 
walk  along,  Sir." 

In  his  later  years,  while  he  could  still  walk  abroad,  he  was 
accustomed  to  go  to  the  post  office,  situated  near  the  meeting- 
house, after  the  arrival  of  the  mail,  in  order  to  read  there  the 
Boston  Centinel,  which  was  taken  by  his  nephew,  David  Trum- 
bull.  One  day  either  he  had  come  later  than  usual,  or  the 
paper  had  been  taken  away  earlier  ;  it  was  not  there.  Mr. 
Robinson  was  vexed  and  irritated.  Mr.  Trumbull,  who  lived 
just  by,  heard  of  the  difficulty,  and  sent  back  the  paper  for  his 
perusal.  But  he  would  not  touch  it.* 

Mr.  Robinson  was  a  man  of  reading  ;  and  his  library  con- 
tained many  of  the  best  works,  which  appeared  in  England  for 
the  half  century  prior  to  the  American  revolution.  There  I 
first  saw  the  original  edition  of  Defoe's  Robinson  Crusoe. 
There  too  I  first  became  acquainted  with  the  Spectator  and 
Gentleman's  Magazine,  in  which  last  the  papers  of  Dr.  John- 
son's Idler  were  then  appearing.  This  work  my  grandfather 
took  for  ten  years  (1757  to  1766),  when  there  was  no  periodi- 
cal in  this  country.  His  education  had  obviously  been  neg- 
lected ;  and  his  orthography  and  style  were  as  defective  as 
possible  ;  as  is  evinced  by  his  family  record  above  given.  A 
series  of  letters  from  him  is  now  before  me,  written  to  his  son 
William  in  Yale  College.  They  afford  still  worse  specimens 
of  orthography  and  style  ;  and  bear  the  impress  of  a  mind 
strong  perhaps  in  itself,  but  narrow  in  its  grasp,  and  mainly 
occupied  with  everyday  cares  and  trifles.  Yet  he  gave  to  two 
of  his  sons,  William  and  John,  an  education  at  Yale  College. 

After  the  death  of  his  wife  and  eldest  daughter,  his  eldest 
son,  Joseph,  and  his  younger  daughter,  Lydia,  continued  to 
reside  with  him  during  his  life.  Both  of  them  remained  un- 
married. Joseph  early  took  charge  of  the  farm  ;  and  Lydia 
managed  the  household  affairs.  The  shop  was  fitted  up  as  a 

*  This  rage  for  newspapers  is  more  fully  described  in  the  letters  of  Prof.  Sil- 
liman  and  Hon.  Joseph  Trumbull,  below. 


56  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

library  ;  and  there  Mr.  Robinson  spent  most  of  his  time. 
Some  three  or  four  years  before  his  death,  he  was  crippled  by 
a  fall  ;  by  which  his  thigh  was  broken.  He  was  afterwards 
able  only  to  move  a  little  around  the  room  on  crutches  ;  or  as 
drawn  abroad  in  a  small  hand-cart  constructed  for  the  pur- 
pose. In  this  he  was  sometimes  drawn  to  church  and  into  the 
broad  aisle,  where  he  sat  during  the  service.  To  this  circum- 
stance the  Eev.  Mr.  Ely  made  allusion  in  the  sermon  preached 
at  his  funeral,  as  an  evidence  of  his  sincere  piety,  and  his  love 
and  zeal  for  the  service  of  God's  house. — During  this  period 
his  nephew,  the  second  Governor  Trumbull,  who  lived  near  by, 
made  it  a  point  to  visit  him  daily. 

Ichabod  Robinson  died  January  20,  1809,  aged  eighty- 
eight  years.  He  was  buried  in  the  old  cemetery  in  Lebanon, 
near  his  father.  But  no  stone  marks  his  grave ;  and  now, 
after  the  lapse  of  half  a  century,  the  precise  spot  is  not  known. 

His  last  will  and  testament  was  dated  October  25,  1793, 
more  than  fifteen  years  before  his  decease  ;  with  a  codicil  dated 
February  4,  1806.  It  is  recorded  in  the  Probate  office  at 
Windham  ;  but  contains  no  details  elucidating  his  family 
history. 

More  than  a  year  after  the  preceding  pages  respecting 
Ichabod  Robinson  were  completed,  I  received  from  the  vener- 
able Prof.  Silliman  of  Yale  College  and  from  the  Hon.  Joseph 
Trumbull  of  Hartford,  the  following  letters,  further  illustrating 
his  character.  It  may  be  remembered,  that  the  first  wife  of 
Prof.  Silliman  was  a  daughter  of  the  second  Gov.  Trumbull. 

From  Prof.  Silliman. 

NEW  HAVEN,  December  28, 1857. 

MY  DEAR  SIR, — As  to  your  Grandfather,  Ichabod  Rob- 
inson, I  have  very  little  legendary  and  still  less  personal  knowl- 
edge of  him.  I  remember  to  have  seen  him  at  his  door  and 
about  the  premises  ;  but  do  not  recollect  that  I  was  ever  in- 
troduced to  him. 


PART  I.]  ICHABOD  ROBINSON.  57 

Mrs.  Trumbull,  my  wife's  mother,  had  a  spice  of  pleasantry  ; 
and  "  Uncle  Robinson"  was  sometimes  the  theme.  Among 
other  things,  his  eager  desire  to  obtain  the  newspapers,  and 
have  the  first  opening,  as  well  as  the  first  reading,  was  a 
matter  of  some  amusement  at  the  Governor's  ;  whose  papers, 
I  believe,  he  regularly  or  often  obtained  from  the  post  office, 
and  possessed  himself  of  their  contents  before  they  were  handed 
over.  It  was  even  said  that,  to  secure  the  priority  of  reading, 
he  sometimes  made  a  cushion  of  the  papers,  in  order  that  no 
other  hands  might  be  laid  upon  them.  The  times  were  then 
very  exciting. 

With  respect  to  "cousins  going  home,"  I  have  heard  Mrs. 
Silliman  tell,  that  when  Mr.  Robinson  was  going  out  from  the 
house,  he  would  say :  "  Good  bye,  cousins,  you  will  be  gone 
before  I  return  ;"  or  perhaps  :  "  Eat  heartily,  as  you  are  going 
to  ride."  But  as  there  was  a  mirthful  spirit  abroad  about  the 
.  old  gentleman,  these  little  things  may  have  been  apocryphal,  or 
at  least  coloured. 

The  impression  left  on  my  mind  was  that  of  a  rather  in- 
flexible and  somewhat  angular  old  gentleman,  who  would  have 
his  own  way,  albeit  it  might  be  a  good  way. 

Truly  and  respectfully  yours,  B.  SILLIMAN. 

From  the,  Hon.  Joseph  Trumbull. 

HARTFORD,  December  28,  1857. 

MY  DEAR  SIR, — Your  favour  has  just  reached  me,  re- 
questing from  me  what  I  recollect  about  Ichabod  Robinson, 
the  brother  of  my  grandmother. 

Mr.  Robinson  was  a  man  above  the  ordinary  size,  erect, 
and  well-proportioned  ;  as  I  remember  him,  he  was  a  venerable 
looking  old  gentleman.  He  had  a  strong  mind,  well  furnished 
from  the  books  within  his  reach ;  and,  notwithstanding  his 
eccentricities,  he  commanded  the  respect  of  his  cotemporaries. 

He  had  but  little  intercourse  with  us  boys  ;  and  to  us  he 
seemed  severe  ;  and  his  deportment  towards  us  we  thought 
quite  commanding. 


58  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

He  had,  in  the  earlier  part  of  his  life,  kept  a  store  of  goods 
for  sale  ;  but,  at  the  time  of  which  I  speak,  the  shop  was  used 
as  his  reading  room.  I  well  remember  him,  seated  in  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  room,  (his  window  looking  into  the 
street,)  with  his  broad  shoulders,  and  a  head  covered  with  hair 
as  white  as  snow. — I  do  not  suppose  he  had  a  bad  temper  ; 
but  his  deportment  was  such,  that  the  youngsters  feared  to 
incur  his  displeasure. 

My  uncle  Jonathan  Trutnbull,  and  my  father,  took  the 
New  York  and  Boston  newspapers  ;  and  Uncle  Robinson  was 
very  fond  of  reading  them.  I  remember  being  frequently  sent 
with  the  papers,  immediately  after  their  arrival,  to  Uncle 
Robinson,  with  a  strict  injunction  not  to  open  them  ;  for  it  was 
well  understood,  that  unless  the  old  gentleman  could  have  the 
first  opening,  he  would  not  look  at  them  at  all.  After  he  had 
done  with  the  papers,  they  were  returned  to  us  for  family  use. 

During  the  season  for  taking  shad  from  the  Connecticut 
river,  it  was  customary  for  the  neighbours  to  purchase  and 
bring  them  home,  not  only  for  their  own  use,  but  for  the  sup- 
ply of  others  in  the  vicinity.  Uncle  Robinson  had  a  strong 
dislike  to  shad  ;  and  no  person  was  permitted  to  bring  one 
within  his  premises.  If  any  one  presumed  to  offer  him  a  shad, 
"  Begone  with  your  stinking  fish,"  was  the  invariable  and 
prompt  reply. 

During  the  revolutionary  contest,  Uncle  Robinson  was  a 
whig  ;  but  when  the  constitution  was  framed,  and  the  laws 
relating  to  voting  were  enacted,  he  objected  to  the  oath  which 
was  required  ;  and  I  have  always  understood,  that  he  declined 
the  exercise  of  that  privilege  ;  saying,  that  "  if  his  patriotism 
was  not  a  sufficient  guaranty  for  his  fidelity,  he  -would  leave 
the  voting  to  others." 

I  have  made  these  few  remarks  about  our  ancestor,  merely 
to  let  you  into  the  private  character  which  he  bore  in  the 
vicinity. — He  was  a  very  upright  and  worthy  gentleman,  but 
queer.  With  great  respect,  yours, 

Jos.  TKUMBULL. 


PART  I.]  ICHABOD  ROBINSON.  59 


DESCENDANTS  OF  ICHABOD  EOBINSON. 

The  second  son,  WILLIAM,  is  the  subject  of  the  following 
Memoir.  Four  other  children  lived  to  adult  years. 

JOSEPH  did  not  marry.  He  remained  upon  the  homestead 
as  a  farmer,  and  died  August  27,  1813. 

MARY,  the  eldest  daughter,  died  as  related  above,  Oct.  11, 
1780,  in  the  25th  year  of  her  age. 

LYDIA,  the  second  daughter,  remained  unmarried,  and 
lived  with  her  father  until  his  death.  She  was  subject  to 
great  variations  of  animal  spirits ;  sometimes  for  a  year  or 
more  highly  excitable,  and  at  other  times  for  a  similar  period 
greatly  depressed,  even  to  the  verge  of  mental  derangement. 
After  her  father's  decease  she  and  her  eldest  brother  did  not 
live  happily  together  ;  and  a  smaller  house  was  built  for  her  on 
the  southwestern  part  of  the  homestead.  Here  she  resided 
until  her  death,  April  23,  1825. 

•  The  third  son,  Kev.  JOHN  KOBINSON,  graduated  at  Yale 
College  in  1780  ;  studied  theology  ;  and  was  ordained  pastor 
of  the  church  in  Westborough,  Mass.  January  14,  1789.  He 
was  dismissed  October  1, 1807.  After  the  death  of  his  brother 
Joseph,  John  purchased  the  homestead  from  the  other  heirs  ; 
and  in  1815  removed  thither.  After  the  decease  of  his  sister 
Lydia  in  1825,  he  removed  into  the  house  which  she  had 
occupied.  He  died  suddenly  in  a  fit,  May  2,  1832. — He 
married  Abigail  Drury,  who  died  Dec.  29,  1816.  Their  chil- 
dren were  :  Laurinda,  born  Aug.  1799,  died  at  Lebanon, 
June  1823,  aged  23  years  ;  and  John  Augustus,  a  successful 
and  respected  merchant  in  New  York,  now  retired  from  mer- 
cantile business. — The  second  wife  of  Kev.  John  Eobinson  was 
Elizabeth  Tiffany,  whom  he  married  in  Feb.  1824.  She  still 
survives  him  at  a  very  advanced  age. 

Since  the  preceding  pages  were  written,  a  family  monu- 
ment, an  obelisk  of  granite,  has  been  erected  in  the  old  ceme- 
tery at  Lebanon,  by  John  A.  Kobinson  of  New  York,  to  his 


60  ANCESTORS.  [PART  I. 

immediate  relatives  ;  including  also  the  names  of  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Robinson  family,  who  have  died  and  lie  buried  in 
Lebanon.  The  number  of  names  is  in  nil  eleven. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  NOTE. 

Was  the  Rev.  John  Robinson  of  Duxbury  descended  from 
the  Rev.  John  Robinson  of  Leyden  ? 

A  sort  of  indefinite  impression  has  gone  abroad  among 
some  of  the  descendants  of  the  Rev.  John  Robinson  of  Dux- 
bury,  and  especially  in  the  Thomas  and  Trumbull  families, 
that  he  may,  in  some  way,  have  been  a  descendant  of  the  Rev. 
John  Robinson  of  Leyden.*  As  is  well  known,  the  wife  and 
family  of  the  latter,  after  his  decease,  came  over  to  this  country 
and  landed  at  Plymouth  in  A.  D.  1629. f  It  is  singular,  that 
no  definite  trace  is  afterwards  found,  either  of  the  widow  or 
of  any  child,  except  Isaac  Robinson,  who  lived  for  a  time  at 
Scituate  and  afterwards  at  Barnstable  ;£  and  whom  Prince 
had  seen  as  a  very  old  man.§  Indeed,  there  is  no  direct  evi- 
dence that  there  was  more  than  one  child.  Before  the  voyage, 
only  the  wife  is  spoken  of ;  after  it,  only  the  son  Isaac. 

This  supposed  relationship  between  the  two  divines,  did 
not,  of  course,  arise  as  a  matter  of  history,  or  as  a  matter  of  any 
definite  tradition  ;  for  it  is  only  quite  recently  (1855),  that 
the  descent  of  Mr.  Robinson  of  Duxbury  has  been  distinctly 
traced  from  William  Robinson  of  Dorchester.  Pie  has  more 
usually  been  referred  to  an  entirely  different  line,  and  set  down 

*  Similar  statements  have  even  appeared  in  print ;  see  Col.  Trumbull's  Auto- 
biography, pp.  2,  3.  Works  of  the  Rev.  John  Robinson  of  Leyden,  Boston  edit. 
Preface,  fin. 

f  Bradford's  Hist,  of  Plymouth,  Bost.  1856,  pp.  247,  248,  notes. 

\  Deane's  Hist,  of  Scituate,  p.  332.  In  the  Plymouth  Records  (Vol.  I.  p.  80) 
there  is  recorded  a  deed  of  land  from  Isaac  Robinson  to  John  Biddle,  dated  July 
4,  1635,  for  the  consideration  of  £6. — Deane  speaks  also  (from  Farmer)  of  another 
son,  John  ;  but  the  account  is  now  generally  discredited  ;  ibid.  See  below  at  the 
end  of  this  Supplementary  Note. 

§  Prince's  Annals,  p.  238. 


PART  I.]  SUPPLEMENTARY  NOTE.  gj 

as  the  son  of  James  Robinson,  born  in  1675.  The  late  Dr. 
T.  W.  Harris  of  Cambridge,  whose  wife  was  a  descendant  of 
the  said  William  Robinson,  at  one  time  supposed  there  was  a 
floating  tradition,  that  the  said  William  came  to  Dorchester 
from  the  Old  Colony  ;  but  on  further  inquiry,  as  he  informed 
me,  he  found  it  amounted  to  nothing  at  all.  Not  the  slightest 
trace  of  this  William  Robinson  has  been  found  in  any  con- 
nection with  the  colony  of  Plymouth  ;  nor  with  any  other  town 
than  Dorchester.  While  therefore  there  would  be  no  historical 
impossibility,  that  he  might  have  been  a  son  of  Mr.  Robinson 
of  Leyden,  and  have  come  over  in  1629  ;  yet,  as  he  first  appears 
in  1636,  and  only  in  Dorchester,  it  is  most  probable  that  he 
came  from  England,  where  the  name  is  very  common,  either 
with  Richard  Mather  in  1635,  or  not  long  after. 

At  a  public  celebration  of  the  New  England  Society  of 
New  York,  held  on  Monday  December  23.  1844,  there  was 
exhibited  at  the  dinner  a  small  silver  cup,  then  in  the  posses- 
sion of  J.  G.  W.  Trumbull,  Esq.  of  Norwich,  Conn,  and  sup- 
posed to  have  been  a  relic  of  the  Rev.  John  Robinson  of  Ley- 
den.*  This  cup,  now  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Trumbull's  son,  I 
have  examined.  It  has  no  engraved  inscription  whatever. 
Scratched  upon  the  bottom,  as  with  the  point  of  a  penknife  or 
the  like,  are  in  one  place  the  letters  "  I.  R."  and  in  another  : 
"  S.  R.  to  J.  R.  Jr.  1717."  Now  if  these  last  letters  mean 
any  thing,  they  can  only  mark  a  gift  from  Samuel  Robinson  of 
Dorchester,  who  died  in  1718,  to  his  grandson,  John  Robinson 
Jr.  who  was  born  in  1715.  The  letters  "  I.  R."  are  then 
probably  nothing  more  than  a  usual  form  for  J.  R.  The  date 
itself  shows  the  absurdity  of  any  attempt  to  connect  the  cup 
with  John  Robinson  of  Leyden. — Possibly  the  cup  may  have 
been  originally  a  gift  from  the  elder  Samuel  Robinson  to  his 
grandson  and  namesake  Samuel,  second  son  of  John  Robinson 
of  Duxbury  ;  who  was  born  and  died  in  1717.  After  his  death 
the  gift  might  easily  have  been  transferred  to  his  elder  brother 
John,  and  the  letters  scratched  upon  it.  How  the  cup  came 
into  the  possession  of  the  Trumbull  family  is  not  known. 

*  See  the  New  York  Observer  of  Dec.  28,  1844. 


62  AXCESTOES.  [PART  I. 

There  is,  moreover,  definite  and  indubitable  testimony,  that 
John  Robinson  of  Duxbury  was  accustomed  to  declare,  that 
there  ivas  no  connection  betioeen  him  and  John  Robinson  of 
Ley  den.  It  would  appear,  that  the  idea  of  such  a  relationship 
had  already  found  a  place  in  the  minds  of  some  of  his  own 
children  ;  and  that  this  declaration  was  made  to  them.  The 
fact  rests  upon  the  testimony  of  his  son,  Ichabod  Robinson. 

There  is  a  very  distinct  impression  upon  my  own  mind, 
that  when  I  was  once  at  home  during  a  college  vacation,  I 
made  some  inquiry  of  my  father  as  to  our  supposed  descent 
from  the  Puritan  of  Leyden.  In  reply  he  told  me  what  he 
had  often  heard  his  father  say  ;  and  repeated  the  declaration 
of  his  grandfather,  as  above. 

But  the  matter  does  not  rest  on  my  impressions  alone.  In 
1844  I  visited  the  Rev.  Zephaniah  Willis,  at  his  home  in 
Kingston  ;  then  in  his  eighty-seventh  year,  but  hale  and  hearty 
as  he  had  been  at  sixty.  His  wife  was  of  the  Thomas  family  ; 
and  in  early  life  he  had  endeavoured  to  ascertain,  whether  there 
was  any  ground  for  assuming  the  supposed  descent  from  the 
Leyden  divine.  For  this  purpose,  about  1794,  he  visited 
Ichabod  Robinson,  then  the  only  surviving  child  of  John  Rob- 
inson of  Duxbury  ;  who  told  him  "  that  his  father  had  often 
spoken  on  the  subject,  and  said  that  there  was  no  connection 
between  him  and  John  Robinson  of  Leyden."  This  statement 
I  wrote  down  from  the  lips  of  Mr.  Willis. 

As  John  Robinson  of  Duxbury  was  the  grandson  of  Wil- 
liam Robinson  of  Dorchester,  he  could  not  but  have  known 
the  fact,  had  the  latter  been  a  son  of  the  great  Puritan  divine, 
and  come  over  to  this  country  from  Holland. 

From  a  consideration  of  all  these  circumstances,  I  am  con- 
strained to  regard  the  idea  of  a  supposed  descent  from  the 
Leyden  minister,  not  only  as  unsupported  by  any  historical 
evidence,  but  also  as  disproved  by  direct  and  sufficient  testi- 
mony. However  much  I  might  rejoice  in  a  rightful  claim  to 
an  ancestry  so  honourable,  I  am  nevertheless  loth  to  seek  it  at 
the  expense  of  historic  truth. 


PART  I.]  SUPPLEMENTARY  NOTE.  53 

An  example  of  a  like  kind  occurs  in  the  case  of  Abraham 
Robinson,  (not  John,  as  Farmer  has  it,)  who  died  at  Glouces- 
ter, February  3,  1645.  He  is  regarded  by  some  of  his  later 
descendants  as  a  son  of  the  Leyden  pastor  ;  and  is  so  reported 
by  Farmer.  But  there  seems  to  be  no  particle  of  direct  evi- 
dence in  favour  of  such  a  relationship  ;  nothing,  indeed,  more 
than  an  impression  or  hypothesis  of  some  of  his  descendants 
after  several  generations.  The  little  value  of  such  an  hy- 
pothesis we  have  seen  above  ;  and  I  am  not  aware  that  any 
stronger  testimony  exists  in  respect  to  Abraham  Kobinson  of 
Gloucester,  than  in  the  case  of  William  Robinson  of  Dor- 
chester.* 

*  See  Mr.  Deane's  Note  to  Bradford's  Hist,  of  Plymouth  p.  247. 


PART  II. 

MEMOIR    OF    THE  REV.   WILLIAM    ROBINSON. 


,  SECTION    I. 

His   BIRTH   AND   EDUCATION. 
1754-1780. 

THE  REV.  WILLIAM  ROBINSON,  the  subject  of  the  present 
Memoir,  was  for  forty-one  years  Pastor  of  the  Congregational 
Church  in  Southington,  Conn.  He  was  the  second  son  of 
Ichabod  and  Lydia  Robinson  ;  and  was  born  in  Lebanon, 
Conn.  August  15,  1754. 

The  materials  for  a  biographical  sketch  of  Mr.  Robinson 
are  few,  and  mostly  unwritten.  The  minister  of  a  retired 
country  parish,  he  was  not  widely  known  to  the  public  ;  he 
rarely  spoke  of  himself  or  of  the  events  of  his  life,  even  to  his 
family  ;  those  who  best  knew  him  in  youth,  and  during  the 
first  twenty  years  of  his  ministry,  have  passed  away  ;  and  the 
recollections  of  his  children  and  of  the  generation  now  living 
reach  back  only  to  the  early  years  of  the  present  century.  He 
never  was  addicted  to  the  writing  of  letters  ;  and  those  which 
he  wrote  were  always  brief  and  confined  to  the  business  in 
5 


66  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

hand  ;  affording  few  details  of  his  personal  or  family  history. 
Yet  it  is  to  a  few  scattered  reminiscences,  occasionally  uttered 
by  him  in  conversation  with  his  children,  and  to  a  few  letters 
to  and  from  his  father  and  sisters  and  some  of  his  college 
classmates,  that  we  are  indebted  for  all  that  we  know  re- 
specting his  youth,  his  college  course,  and  the  earlier  portion 
of  his  professional  career. 

His  grandfather  Brown,  as  he  used  to  relate,  was  a  man  of 
great  size  and  strength  ;  and  these  qualities  he  himself  inher- 
ited, through  his  mother,  in  a  large  degree.  She  was  a  woman 
of  strong  mind,  and  of  an  earnest  and  energetic  character. 
His  father  was  not  an  early  riser  ;  but  his  mother  was  always 
up  before  daylight.  He  was  his  mother's  boy  ;  and  she  was 
accustomed  to  take  him  from  bed  when  she  rose  herself.  Thus, 
as  a  child,  he  acquired  the  habit  of  early  rising  ;  which  he 
continued  regularly  through  life,  and  regarded  as  having  been^ 
a  main  foundation  of  his  success.  Indeed,  in  his  whole  tem- 
perament and  character,  he  much  more  resembled  his  mother 
than  his  father.  Of  the  eccentricities  of  the  latter  he  inher- 
ited no  trace. 

He  received  his  early  education  in  the  celebrated  Gram- 
mar School  of  Master  Tisdale  in  Lebanon  ;  of  which"  Col. 
Trumbull  the  painter,  who  was  Mr.  Robinson's  cousin  and 
two  years  his  junior,  thus  speaks  in  his  Autobiography  :  * 
"  My  native  place,  Lebanon,  was  long  celebrated  for  having 
the  best  school  in  New  England  ;  unless  that  of  Master 
Moody  in  Newbury  Port  might,  in  the  opinion  of  some,  have 
the  precedence.  It  was  kept  by  Nathan  Tisdale,  a  native  of 
the  place,  from  the  time  when  he  graduated  at  Harvard  to 
the  day  of  his  death,  a  period  of  more  than  thirty  years,  with 
an  assiduity  and  fidelity  of  the  most  exalted  character  ;  and 
became  so  widely  known,  that  he  had  scholars  from  the  West 
India  Islands,  Georgia,  North  and  South  Carolina,  as  well  as 
from  the  New  England  and  northern  colonies."  f 
*  P.  4. 

f  Master  Tisdale  graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1749,  at  the  age  of  18 
years  ;  and  died  January  5, 1787,  in  the  fifty-sixth  year  of  his  age.     His   school 


SECT.  I.]  HIS  EDUCATION.  67 

In  the  same  school  young  Robinson  was  prepared  for  Yale 
College,  where  he  entered  the  Sophomore  class  in  the  autumn, 
of  1770.  He  appears  to  have  enjoyed  in  a  high  degree  the 
confidence  of  Master  Tisdale  ;  who  continued  to  correspond 
with  him  while  in  college  ;  and  also  received  very  favourable 
accounts  of  him  from  his  college  tutor.*  He  graduated  in 
1773  ;  being  the  first  alumnus  of  the  name  upon  the  catalogue 
of  that  venerable  institution. 

Among  his  classmates  were  James  Hillhouse,  afterwards 
senator  in  Congress  ;  Benjamin  Tallmadge,  member  of  Con- 
gress ;  Ezra  Sampson  ;  and  the  two  brothers,  Enoch  and  Na- 
than Hale,  the  latter  the  martyr  spy  of  the  Revolution.  Mr. 
Robinson,  in  after  life,'  often  spoke  of  Nathan  Hale,  and  of 
his  early  fate  ;  and  said  he  was  found  out  from  having  his 
college  diploma  in  his  pocket. 

The  tutors  during  Robinson's  first  or  Sophomore  year  in 
college  were  Joseph  Lyrnan  and  Buckingham  St.  John,  who 
both  entered  upon  the  office  in  1770,  and  left  in  1771.  Which 
of  them  had  charge  of  the  Sophomore  class  does  not  directly 
"  appear  ;  yet  it  was  undoubtedly  Lyrnan  ;  for  in  Robinson's 
account-book,  there  is  a  charge  of  one  shilling  as  his  contribu- 
tion towards  a  ring  for  Lyman.  He  was  afterwards  the  Rev 
Dr.  Lyman  of  Hatfield,  Mass,  between  whom  and  my  father 
there  existed  a  mutual  friendship  and  affectionate  intercourse 
during  their  lives.  In  1771  the  new  tutors  were  John  Trum- 
bull,  author  of  McFingal,  and  Timothy  Dwight ;  and  they 
were  joined  in  1772  by  Nathan  Strong,  afterwards  of  Hart- 
ford. But  neither  of  these  had  any  thing  to  do,  apparently, 
with  Robinson's  class  ;  certainly  not  Dwight  ;  for  the  first 
class  which  he  taught  graduated  in  1775.f 

There  is  still  extant  a  very  exact  account,  kept  by  Robin- 
son, of  his  expenses  during  his  college  course  down  to  the 
May  vacation  of  his  Senior  year,  including  his  journeys  between 

therefore  continued  for  more  than  thirty-seven  years..     See  his  epitaph,  copied  in 
Barber's  Conn.  Hist.  Collections,  p.  325. 

*  Letters  of  Ichabod  Robinson,  March  2  and  June  12,  1771. 

f  Memoir  of  Dr.  Dwight,  prefixed  to  his  Theology. 


68  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

Lebanon  and  New  Haven.  The  amount  for  the  three  years 
is  a  little  less  than  seventy  pounds ;  or  not  far  from  $233. 
Yet  this  small  sum,  as  it  would  now  be  reckoned,  was  not 
provided  for  him  without  difficulty  ;  as  appears  from  his 
father's  letters.  His  clothing  was  furnished  from  home.  Of 
the  above  sum,  about  six  pounds  ($20)  were  spent  for  three 
works,  purchased  in  his  Senior  year,  which  are  not  usually 
found  in  the  libraries  of  college  students,  viz.  Prideaux's  Con- 
nections, Rollm's  Ancient  History,  and  Kobertson's  History 
of  Charles  the  Fifth.  These  were  fine  English  editions,  well 
bound,  and  are  still  in  the  hands  of  his  children.  Deducting 
this  amount,  the  average  of  his  annual  expenses  in  college 
would  seem  to  have  been  not  far  from  $75  a  year. 

Of  his  habits  of  study  in  college  nothing  is  known  ;  but  he 
was  a  successful  student.  This  appears  from  his  tutor's  re- 
port to  Master  Tisdale  as  above  related  ;  and  also  from  his 
high  standing  in  the  class.  After  one  year  spent  at  New  Ha- 
ven, the  question  appears  to  have  been  agitated,  whether  he 
should  not  remove  to  Harvard  College.  This  was  not  unnat- 
ural ;  since  his  grandfather,  his  uncle  Trumbull,  his  teacher 
Master  Tisdale,  as  also  his  cousins  of  the  Trumbull  family, 
were  all  educated  at  Harvard.  His  father  wisely  left  the  mat- 
ter to  his  own  decision  ;  and  Master  Tisdale  wrote,  apparently 
dissuading  him  from  the  step,  and  saying  that  "  he  had  much 
the  lead  where  he  now  was."  The  project  appears  to  have 
been  abandoned  before  the  middle  of  his  Junior  year."* 

In  1773,  his  Senior  year,  he  took  the  Berkeley  prize  for 
declamation  ;  such  being  the  way  in  which  the  funds  given  to 
the  college  by  Dean  Berkeley  were  to  be  partly  appropriated. 
The  prize  that  year  was  a  copy  of  Mill's  Septuagint,  in  two 
volumes  duodecimo,  now  in  the  possession  of  the  writer. 

Kobinson's  most  intimate  associate  and  friend  in  the  class, 
was  Ezra  Sampson,  who  was  five  and  a  half  years  older  than 
himself.  Of  him  he  used  in  after  life  to  relate,  that  he  was 
the  Sampson  of  the  class,  in  physical  strength  as  well  as  in  in- 

»  Ichabod  Robinson's  Letters  of  Sept.  9,  1771,  and  Feb.  28,  1772. 


SECT.  I.]  YALE  COLLEGE.  59 

tellect  ;  and  that  to  him  of  right  belonged,  and  was  awarded, 
the  first  standing  in  his  class  ;  though,  in  consequence  of  his 
subsequent  non-residence,  the  benefit  devolved  on  Robinson. 
This  was  the  position  of  first  "  Scholar  of  the  House"  on  the 
Berkeley  foundation  ;  Mr.  Robinson  being  the  second. 

At  that  time,  in  Yale  College,  a  valedictory  oration  by  a 
member  of  the  graduating  class,  now  regarded  as  the  first 
honour,  had  not  yet  been  introduced.  The  valedictory,  in 
those  days,  was  in  Latin  ;  and,  like  various  other  orations, 
was  delivered  by  a  candidate  for  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 
The  present  form  of  the  valedictory  was  introduced  in  A.  D. 
1*798  ;  but  for  nearly  thirty  years  it  was  not  necessarily,  nor  in 
all  cases,  given  to  the  best  scholar.  Since  1835,  however,  it 
has  been  regularly  so  assigned  ;  and  by  the  public  it  has  ever 
been  considered  as  the  highest  appointment.0 

The  scholarship  established  by  Dean  Berkeley,  afterwards 
bishop  of  Cloyne  in  Ireland,  known  also  as  "  the  Dean's 
Bounty,"  was  founded  in  1733  ;  when  the  Dean  gave  to  the 
Corporation  of  Yale  College  his  farm  of  ninety-six  acres,  situ- 
ated in  Newport,  R.  I.  for  the  purposes  and  on  the  conditions 
following,  viz.  : 

I.  That  the  rents  of  the  farm  should  be  appropriated  to 
the  maintenance  and  subsistence  of  the  three  best  scholars  in 
Greek  and  Latin  in  each  class,  who  should  be  called  Scholars 
of  the  House,  and  reside  in  college  at  least  nine  months  of  each 
year  between  their  first  and  second  degrees. 

II.  That  on  the  sixth  day  of  May  annually,  or  in  case 
that  should  be  Sunday,  on  the  seventh,  the  candidates  should 
be  publicly  examined   by  the  President  or  Rector,  and  the 
senior  [Episcopal]   Missionary  within  the  colony,  who  should 
be  present ;  and  in  case  none  should  be  present,  then  by  the 
President  alone. 

III.  That  all  surplus  moneys  which  should  happen  by  any 
vacancies  or  non-residence,  should  be  distributed  in  prizes  of 
Greek  and  Latin  books  to  such  under-graduate  students  as 

*  See  more  in  Appendix  C. 


70  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

should  make,  the  best  composition  or  declamation,  in  the  Latin 
tongue,  upon  such  a  moral  theme  as  should  be  given  them.* 

In  accordance  with  the  requisitions  of  the  Dean's  scholar- 
ship, Mr.  Robinson  was,  on  the  6th  of  May,  1773,  elected  one 
of  the  Scholars  of  the  House,  as  appears  from  the  following 
record  :  f 

1773.  MEMORANDUM.  That  on  this  6th  day  of  May,  A.  D.  1773,  we  the 
subscribers,  having  publicly  examined,  in  the  college  chapel,  according  to 
the  directions  of  Dean  Berkeley's  deed,  all  those  that  offered  themselves 
candidates  for  the  donation  therein  specified,  do  elect  Ezra  Sampson  first 
Scholar  of  the  House.  We  do  also  elect  William  Robinson  and  Roger 
Alden  to  be  Scholars  of  the  House.  NAPHTALI  DAGGETT,  Pres*. 

BELA  HUUBARD,  8enr  Missionary, 

Mr.  Sampson  did  not  reside  ;  and  of  course  receded  no 
portion  of  the  bounty.  Mr.  Robinson,  as  we  shall  see,  resided 
only  during  his  third  year,  from  the  autumn  of  1775  till  the 
summer  of  1776. 

The  public  commencement  of  the  class  took  place  on  the 
second  Wednesday  or  8th  day  of  September,  1773.  As  was 
then  usual,  the  candidates  for  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts 
took  a  large  share  in  the  proceedings.  The  following  account 
of  this  commencement  is  copied  from  the  Connecticut  Journal, 
the  newspaper  then  published  in  New  Haven,  dated  Friday, 
Sept.  10, 1773  : 

Last  Wednesday  the  Public  Commencement  was  attended  in  this 
town.  The  Exercises  in  the  forenoon  were  introduced  with  Prayer  by 
the  Rev'd  President  [Daggett].  A  Latin  Salutatory  Oration  was  pro- 
nounced by  Mr.  Wyllys ;  succeeded  by  syllogistic  Disputations.  Then 
followed  a  Forensic  Debate  by  Messrs.J  Beckwith,  Fairchild.  Mead,  and 
Flint,  on  this  question:  Whether  a  large  Metropolis  would,  lie  of  public 
advantage  to  this  Colony  ?  This  was  succeeded  by  a  Dialogue  in  English, 
by  Messrs.  Alden,  Keys,  and  Marvin,  on  the  three  learned  Professions  ; 
and  an  English  Oration  on  Prejudice,  by  Mr.  Williams.  The  Exercises  in 
the  forenoon  were  then  closed  with  an  Anthem. 

*  See  more  in  Appendix  C. 

f   Register  of  the  Berkeley  Scholarship. 

\  As  the  title  Mr.  is  above  rightly  used  to  mark  a  candidate  for  the  Master's 
degree,  the  application  of  Messrs,  iu  the  plural,  to  members  of  the  graduating  class, 
would  seem  to  be  hardly  appropriate. 


SECT.  I.]  YALE  COLLEGE.     WINDSOR.  71 

In  the  afternoon  the  Exercises  were  introduced  by  an  English  Oration 
on  the  state  of  Private  Schools  in  this  Colony,  by  Mr.  Davenport.  This 
was  succeeded  by  a  Latin  syllogistic  Disputation  ;  which  was  followed  by 
a  Forensic  Debate,  by  Messrs.  Hale,*  Sampson,  Robinson,  and  Tallmadge. 
on  this  question  :  Whether  tlie  Education  of  Daughters  le  not,  without  any 
just  reason,  more  neglected  than  that  of  Sons  f  After  the  usual  Degrees 
were  conferred  on  the  Candidates,  the  Exercises  were  closed  by  a  Latin 
Valedictory  Oration  by  Mr.  Lewis,  an  elegant  Anthem,  and  a  suitable 
Prayer  by  the  President. 

The  degrees  conferred  are  recorded  in  the  Triennial  Cata- 
logue of  the  college.  Among  the  honorary  degrees  were  that 
of  D.  D.  conferred  on  the  Eev.  Solomon  Williams  of  Lebanon, 
and  that  of  LL.  D.  on  Richard  Jackson,  Esq.  of  London. 

The  question  discussed  by  Robinson  and  his  colleagues,  on 
female  education,  was  a  theme  which,  to  judge  from  the  or- 
thography and  grammar  of  the  correspondence  of  ladies  of 
that  day,  was  not  wholly  inappropriate. 

The  next  two  years  were  spent  by  Mr.  Robinson  as  teacher 
of  a  school  in  Windsor,  Conn.  Of  the  character  of  this  school 
nothing  is  known  ;  and  the  fact  of  his  residence  there  appears 
only  from  a  few  letters,  preserved  not  by  himself,  but  at  his 
home  in  Lebanon.  He  at  this  time  corresponded  with  several 
of  his  college  classmates,  as  Sampson,  Tallmadge,  the  two 
"Hales  ;  and  also  afterwards  with  William  Lockwood,  who  was 
a  year  after  him  in  college,  and  with  his  cousin  John  Trum- 
bull,  whose  letters  are  mostly  dated  from  the  American  army. 
Very  few  of  these  letters  have  been  preserved  ;  and  they  afford 
scarcely  any  facts  illustrative  of  his  personal  history.  Early 
during  his  residence  in  Windsor,  he  appears  to  have  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Miss  Wolcott  of  East  Windsor,  to  whom  he 
became  attached,  and  whom  he  afterwards  married. f 

*  That  this  was  Nathan  Hale,  is  stated  in  Stuart's  Life  of  Nathan  Hale,  p.  21 . 

f  In  Stuart's  Life  of  Nathan  Hale,  p.  28,  is  given  an  extract  of  a  letter,  dated 
January  20,  1774,  from  William  Robinson  to  Nathan  Hale,  then  at  East  Haddam  ; 
comp.  pp.  21,  22  :  "  My  school  is  not  large  ;  my  neighbours  are  kind  and  clever  ; 
and  (f»i.mm.fitim)  my  distance  from  a  house  on  your  side  of  the  river,  which  contains 
an  object  worthy  the  esteem  of  every  one,  and,  as  I  conclude,  has  yours  in  an  es- 
pecial manner,  is  not  great."  The  place  here  referred  to  can  only  he  Enst  Windsor ; 
and  the  object  was  probably  Miss  Wolcott,  with  whom  Hale  doubtless  was  acquainted. 
Mr.  Stuart  refers  the  passage  to  Alice  Adams,  to  whom  Hale  was  betrothed  while 
yet  in  college.  But  she  lived  in  his  father's  family  in  Coventry.  Ibid. 


72  MEMOIR.  [PAET  II. 

» 

In  the  autumn  of  1775,  Mr.  Eobinson  returned  to  New 
Haven  as  a  '  Scholar  of  the  House  ; '  and  received  his  propor- 
tion of  the  Dean's  bounty  for  that  year.  The  following  receipt 
is  in  his  own  handwriting  : 

New  Haven,  Nov.  5. 1776. 

Recd  of  the  Kev.  President  Daggett  the  sum  of  eleven  Pounds  two 
shillings  and  two  pence  halfpenny,  as  my  proportion  in  full  of  Dean  Berke- 
ley's Donation,  due  to  me  as  resident  Scholar  of  the  House  for  the  year 
ending  Sepr  1776.  WM.  ROBINSON.* 

At  New  Haven  Robinson  now  entered  upon  and  pursued  the 
study  of  theology.  At  that  period  Timothy  Dwight  and  Jo- 
seph Buckminster  were  tutors  in  Yale  College  ;  and  both  were 
apparently  already  preparing  for  the  work  of  the  Gospel  min- 
istry. Mr.  Robinson  stood  in  close  relations  of  friendship 
with  both  these  eminent  men,  which  continued  through  life. 
But  under  whose  guidance  and  counsel  the  three  pursued  their 
theological  studies,  is  unknown.  There  appears  not  to  exist 
any  college  record  or  tradition  on  the  subject.  President 
Daggett  was  then  Professor  of  Divinity  ;  but  whether  he  also 
gave  private  instruction  in  theology,  we  are  not  informed. 
This  is  not  improbable  ;  for  Mr.  Robinson,  as  well  as  the  other 
two,  was  in  close  connection  with  the  college.f 

On  the  5th  of  May,  1776,  Mr.  Robinson  united  with  the 
church  in  Yale  College.  On  this  occasion  he  wrote  a  solemn 
private  covenant,  in  which  he  consecrated  himself  to  the 
service  of  God  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ;  and  in  which  the 
prayer  is  prominent,  that  he  may  be  made  instrumental  in 
doing  good  to  God's  heritage.  This  covenant  was  found  after 
his  decease,  among  his  most  private  papers,  nearly  fifty  years 
after  its  date.  No  other  mortal  eye  had  seen  it  meantime  ; 
but  the  spirit  of  his  whole  life  was  the  spirit  of  that  covenant. 

He  was  licensed  to  preach  the  Gospel  by  the  New  Haven 
Association,  at  Wallingford,  May  29,  1776.  His  certificate 

*  Register  of  the  Berkeley  Scholarship. 

f  The  Memoirs  of  Dwight  and  Buckminster  throw  no  light  whatever  on  this 
subject.  Nor  does  there  appear  to  be  any  tradition  respecting  it  among  their 
descendants. 


SECT.  I.]]  YALE  COLLEGE.     PREACHING.  73 

of  license,  in  the  beautiful  handwriting  of  Benjamin  Trumbull, 
the  venerable  historian  of  Connecticut,  is  still  extant.  He 
preached  his  first  sermon  Sept.  1, 1776,  in  the  parish  of  Groshen 
in  Lebanon. 

A  few  days  later,  at  the  commencement  in  Yale  College, 
he  took  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  in  course.  But  I  do  not 
remember  ever  to  have  seen  the  usual  A.  M.  connected  with 
his  name. 

During  the  ensuing  two  years,  Mr.  Kobinson  appears  to 
have  occupied  himself  with  study,  with  the  preparation  of 
sermons,  and  in  frequent  preaching.  He  made  Lebanon  his 
home  ;  and  most  of  the  remaining  letters  of  his  correspondents, 
during  the  interval,  are  directed  to  that  place.  Yet  he'  was 
not  unfrequently  in  New  Haven  ;  and  preached  in  various 
places  in  the  vicinity  of  Lebanon,  New  Haven,  and  Hartford. 
In  October,  1776,  he  preached  in  Hatfield,  Mass,  being  then, 
it  would  seem,  on  a  visit  to  his  friend  and  former  tutor,  Mr. 
Lyrnan  ;  who  was  settled  in  Hatfield  in  March,  1772.  In 
March  and  April,  1777,  Mr.  Robinson  had  an  engagement  to 
preach  for  six  weeks  at  Killingworth.  In  the  course  of  the 
season  following,  there  are  notes  of  his  having  preached  at  New 
Haven,  Hartford,  Wethersfield,  Windsor,  East  Windsor, 
Hadloy,  Mass,  and  several  other  places. 

In  November,  1777,  a  committee  of  the  Ecclesiastical  So- 
ciety in  Northampton  applied  to  Mr.  Eobinson  to  preach  for 
several  weeks  in  that  place.  The  letter  was  delivered  to  him 
by  his  friend,  Mr.  Lyman  ;  and, the  application  was  probably 
made  at  his  suggestion.  It  was  understood  to  be  made  with 
a  view  to  his  subsequent  settlement  as  the  pastor  of  that  church. 
This  invitation  he  declined  absolutely ;  partly  because  of 
his  youth  and  inexperience  ;  (he  was  then  twenty-three  years 
old  ;)  expressing  also  his  determination  not  to  settle  in  the 
ministry  immediately.  What  would  have  been  the  result,  had 
he  thus  entered  upon  a  different  sphere  of  life,  and  become  a 
successor  of  Jonathan  Edwards,  no  one  of  course  can  tell.  But 
not  improbably  his  career  of  usefulness  would  have  been  very 


74  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

different  ;  and  his  memory  might  have  stood  forth  before  the 
world,  not  as  a  follower,  but  as  a  leader,  in  the  profound  theo- 
logical discussions  of  those  days. 

The  Rev.  Ezra  Stiles  D.  D.  having  been  elected  President 
of  Yale  College,  and  having  removed  his  family  to  New  Haven, 
was  inducted  into  office  by  the  Rev.  Warham  Williams  as  a 
committee  of  the  Corporation,  June  23.  1778.  At  the  same 
time  Mr.  Robinson  and  Mr.  Atwater  were  inducted  as  Tutors.* 
They  succeeded  John  Lewis  and  Joseph  Buckminster  ;  Abra- 
ham Baldwin  remaining  as  the  Senior  Tutor.  Dr.  Stiles  was 
inaugurated  a  fortnight  later' July  8,  1778  ;  when  Mr.  Robin- 
son appeared  as  one  of  the  Tutors  in  the  procession. •}•  He 
took  charge  of  the  Sophomore  class  ;  and  remained  in  office 
until  the  commencement  in  September  of  the  following  year. 

In  June,  1779,  by  the  resignation  of  his  colleague  Abraham 
Baldwin,  he  became  Senior  Tutor  ;  and  as  such  delivered  the 
usual  farewell  address  to  the  Senior  class,  at  the  time  of  their 
early  dismissal  before  commencement.  Mr.  Baldwin  was  suc- 
ceeded by  William  Lockwood,  the  friend  and  correspondent  of 
Mr.  Robinson.  When  the  latter  gave  up  his  charge,  his  pla.ce 
was  filled  by  Elizur  Groodrjch.  In  his  letters,  Mr.  Robinson 
speaks  of  his  situation  in  the  college  as  "  on  many  accounts 
pleasing  and  advantageous ;  "  and  mentions  the  fact,  that 
"  college  affairs  went  on  with  regularity  and  order."  In  April 
the  class  under  his  care  made  him  the  customary  present  of  a 
"  genteel  seal  ring,"  in  token  of  their  affection  and  esteem. 
This  was  first  used  in  sealing  a  lefter  to  Miss  Wolcott,  to 
whom  he  was  now  engaged  ;  and  both  the  impression  and  the 
ring  yet  remain. J 

During  his  residence  as  Tutor  in  the  college,  Mr.  Robinson 
continued  to  preach  occasionally  in  New  Haven  and  the  adja- 
cent towns  ;  especially  in  Southington.  Three  Sabbaths  of  the 

*  Records  of  the  Corporation. — Mr.  Atwater  was  afterwards  the  Rev.  Xo:ih 
Atwater  of  Westfield,  Mass. 

•j-  An  account  of  the  inauguration  was  published  in  the  Connecticut  Journal  of 
the  time;  and  is  copied  in  Barber's  Connecticut  Historical  Collections,  p.  177. 

\  Letter  to  Miss  W.  April  8,  1779. 


SECT.  I.]  YALE  COLLEGE.     DR.  BELLAMY.  75 

winter  vacation  were  spent  at  Norwalk.  In  the  May  vacation 
there  is  a  note  of  his  having  preached  at  Norwich  ;  and  he 
visited  Lebanon,  East  Windsor,  Hartford,  etc.  After  giving 
up  his  office  at  commencement,  he  made  a  journey  up  the 
valley  of  the  Connecticut  river,  as  far  as  to  Dartmouth  college  ; 
where  he  notes  having  preached  in  September,  1779. 

It  was  during  his  residence  at  New  Haven  as  a  theological 
student  and  as  Tutor,  that  Mr.  Robinson  became  personally 
acquainted  with  the  justly  celebrated  theologian,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Bellamy.  He  always  spoke  of  him  with  profound  respect  and 
veneration  ;  and  probably  received  from  him  stronger  influences 
in  reference  to  his  theological  views,  than  from  any  other  per- 
son. Yet  it  does  not  appear  that  he  was  ever  a  pupil  of  Bel- 
lamy, or  ever  visited  him  at  his  home.  But  his  theological 
system  was  more  conformed  to  that  of  the  latter,  than  to  any 
other. 

He  loved  to  relate  anecdotes  of  Dr.  Bellamy  ;  most  of 
which  are  well  known.  When  the  Doctor  was  once  asked,  if  in 
preaching  in  the  college  chapel  he  did  not  feel  abashed  before 
so  many  learned  men;  "  Not  in  the  least,"  he  replied,  "ex- 
cepting only  the  Sophomores." — Not  long  after  Mr.  Robinson 
was  settled,  Dr.  Bellamy  sent  word  to  Mr.  Upson  of  Kensing- 
ton, (I  think,)  that  on  a  certain  day  he  should  pass  through 
the  place,  and  would  dine  with  him.  Several  young  ministers 
of  the  vicinity,  his  disciples,  were  invited  to  meet  him.  After 
dinner  the  Doctor  proposed,  as  a  topic  of  conversation,  the  in- 
quiry :  "  Why  was  Judas  permitted  to  be  so  long  the  com- 
panion of  our  Lord,  when  the  latter  knew  him  from  the  first 
to  be  a  traitor  ?  "  Some  answered  the  question  in  one  way, 
and  some  in  another.  Finally,  Dr.  Bellamy  said  :  "  You  are 
all  wrong  ;  it  was  that  he  might  be  at  last  an  unimpeachable 
witness  to  the  innocence  and  purity  of  our  Lord's  character." 


76  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 


SECTION  II. 

His    SETTLEMENT   IN    SOUTHINGTON. 
1780. 

As  the  town  of  SOUTHINGTON  became  the  field  of  Mr.  Rob- 
inson's labours  during  the  remainder  of  his  life,  a  few  words 
respecting  its  history  may  here  not  be  out  of  place. 

The  town  is  situated  on  the  westernmost  road  leading 
from  New  Haven  to  Hartford,  nearly  midway  between  the  two 
cities  ;  its  centre  being  about  twenty  miles  distant  from  the 
former  and  eighteen  from  the  latter.  It  has  Cheshire  on 
the  south,  and  Farmington  on  the  north.  It  was  originally  a 
part  of  the  township  of  Farmington.  It  occupies  a  broad 
rolling  tract,  interspersed  with  several,  plains,  lying  between 
two  parallel  ridges  of  mountains ;  the  range  of  East  or  High 
Rock  and  the  Blue  Hills  on  the  east,  by  which  it  is  separated 
from  Berlin  ;  and  the  Green  Mountain  range  on  the  west, 
which  extends  to  West  Rock  near  New  Haven.  West  of 
Southington,  and  occupying  the  rugged  table  land  upon  the 
mountain,  there  was  formed  later  an  ecclesiastical  society  made 
up  from  a  corner  of  Farmington  and  a  portion  of  Waterbury  ; 
and  therefore  called  Farmingbury.  It  is  now  the  town  of 
Wolcott.  The  area  of  Southington  may  be  regarded  as  a 
square  of  about  six  miles  on  each  side. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  last  century,  several  families  would 
appear  to  have  fixed  themselves  here  as  settlers,  principally 
from  Farmington.  This  was  before  1722  ;  in  which  year  the 
tract  was  first  surveyed  and  divided  into  lots.*  Among  the 

*  Prof.  Porter's  Historical  Discourse  on  Farmington,  p.  39. 


SECT.  II]  TOWN  OF  SOUTHINGTON.  717 

names  of  the  settlers,  the  following  are  reported  :  Andrus, 
Barns,  Clark,  Curtiss,  Dunham,  Gridley,  Hart,  Langdon,  Lee, 
Lewis,  Newell,  Boot,  Woodruff,  and  others.  These  names  are 
still  frequent  in  Southington  ;  and  most  of  them,  if  not  all,  in 
Farmington  likewise. 

The  following  sketch,  prepared  by  the  late  Judge  Lowry 
of  Southington,  explains  the  manner  in  which  the  Ecclesiastical 
Society  in  that  town  was  originally  founded  :* 

"  The  early  records  of  this  church,  and  of  the  society,  for 
many  years  after  the  settlement  of  the  first  minister  in  1728, 
are  very  imperfect ;  and  there  is  no  record  extant,  either  of 
the  church  or  society,  from  the  time  the  society  was  incorpo- 
rated until  1728. 

"  Prior  to  1721,  the  territory  comprised  within  the  present 
limits  of  the  town  of  Southington,  was  inhabited  by  a  few 
families.  They  were  probably  a  part  of  the  original  propri- 
etors of  Farmington,  or  their  descendants.  They  attended 
upon  the  preaching  of  the  Eev.  Samuel  Whitman,  who  was 
then  the  settled  minister  in  Farmington  ;  and  paid  their 
taxes  there  for  the  support  of  religious  worship.  They  were 
called  '  The  Farmers  south  of  the  Town,'  and  sometimes  '  the 
Southern  Farmers.' 

"  The  great  inconvenience  of  attending  public  worship  at  so 
great  a  distance,  especially  in  the  winter  season,  induced  the 
Southern  Farmers  to  apply  to  the  society  in  Farmington,  for 
the  privilege  of  setting  up  a  meeting  among  themselves  in  the 
winter  season  ;  and  at  a  society  meeting  held  in  Farmington, 
December  18,  1721,  the  following  vote  was  passed  : 

"  That  in  consideration  of  the  Farmers  south  of  the  Town  having  hired 
Mr.  Buck  to  preach  among  them  this  winter  season,  to  abate  the  said  Farm- 
ers one  third  part  of  each  their  proportion  towards  the  payment  of  Mr. 
Whitman's  rate. 


*  Prefixed  to  the  "  Confession  of  Faith  and  Covenant  of  the  Congregational 
Church  in  Southington;"  printed  in  1851. 


78  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

"  The  following  year,  December  10,  1722,  a  similar  vote 
was  passed  ;  abating,  however,  one  half  of  the  tax  payable  by 
them  to  Mr.  Whitman,  upon  condition  that  the  said  Farmers 
hire  a  minister  to  preach  among  them  three  months  in  the  win- 
ter season.  And  at  the  same  meeting,  upon  the  application  of 
the  Southern  Farmer?,  a  committee  was  appointed,  to  con- 
sider and  make  report  upon  the  propriety  of  said  (Southern 
Farmers  constituting  a  ministerial  society  among  themselves. 
This  committee  consisted  of  Mr.  John  Hooker,  Samuel  Wads- 
worth,  and  Samuel  Newell  ;  who,  at  a  meeting  of  the  society 
held  in  Farniiugton,  December  26,  1723,  made  their  report, 
in  which  they  say  : 

"  That  having  considered  the  application  of  the  Farmers  south  of  the 
Town,  to  become  a  distinct  ministerial  society  by  themselves,  they  are  of 
opinion,  that  considering  the  weakness  and  inability  of  said  Farmers,  at 
the  present,  it  is  nearest  their  duty  to  content  themselves  in  the  way  they 
are  now  in,  for  another  year  or  years ;  yet  they  are  willing  to  give  them 
all  reasonable  encouragement,  so  soon  as  they  are  able.  But  if  nothing 
else  will  content  them  but  to  become  a  distinct  society  now,  and  a  major 
part  shall  see  fit  to  gratify  them,  that  they  ought  to  be  set  off.  subject  to 
certain  conditions. 

"  [Among  these  conditions  was  this,  that  the  new  society,  at  their  first 
meeting,  should  fix  upon  a  place  for  a  meeting  house  ;  and  should  lay  a 
tax  sufficient  to  raise  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  current 
money,  which  should  be  carefully  laid  out  in  building  the  first  meeting 
house.] 

"The  question  being  put  to  the  society,  if  they  consented  that  the 
Southern  Farmers  might  be  a  ministerial  society,  according  to  the  terms  of 
said  report,  the  answer  thereto  was  in  the  affirmative  by  a  clear  major 
vote. 

"  This  vote  was  passed  December  26,  1723  ;  and  at  the 
next  session  of  the  General  Assembly,  the  following  petition 
was  presented  ill  behalf  of  said  Southern  Farmers  : 

"  To  the  Honourable  the  General  Assembly,  sitting  at  Hartford,  May 
tlieUth,  1T24. 

"  The  memorial  of  Benjamin  Denton  and  the  rest  of  the  inhabitants  of 
a  place  called  Panthorn,  in  the  southwesterly  part  of  Farmington,  humbly 
sheweth  ;  that  the  first  society  in  Farmington,  (to  which  we  at  present 
belong,)  at  their  meeting  the  26th  of  December,  1723,  solemnly  reflecting 


SECT.  II.]  TOWN   OF  SOUTHINGTON.  79 

upon  our  extreme  remoteness  from  the  place  of  God's  public  worship, 
etc.  granted  us  their  consent,  to  be  a  society  by  ourselves. 

"  Whereupon  we  entreat  your  Honours  to  grant  us  the  privilege  of  a 
parish,  within  the  following  bounds  ;  that  is,  all  that  division  of  land  called 
and  known  by  the  name  of  Division  South  from  the  town,  between  the 
mountains;  to  abut  on  the  east  and  west  bounds  of  said  division,  east 
and  west ;  south  to  the  extent  of  the  Bounds  of  the  said  Farmington  ; 
northward  so  far  as  said  division  extends,  including  those  three  families, 
Samuel  Stanley,  Josepli  Andrus.  and  John  Andrus,  eastward  of  tha,t 
called  the  Pond  river,  on  that  called  reserved  land,  at  the  north-east  corner 
of  said  division.  ,  BENJAMIN  DENTON, 

'  for  himself  and  the  rest. 

"  Hartford,  May  the  16,  1724. 

"  This  petition  was  granted'  by  the  General  Assembly,  and 
a  bill  in  form  passed,  incorporating  said  inhabitants  as  a  sepa- 
rate society  ;  but  it' does  not  appear  that  any  other  corporate 
name  was  given  to  the  society,  than  the  one  mentioned  in  the 
foregoing  petition.  The  limits  of  the  society  have  remained 
as  they  were  then  established  ;  with  the  exception  of  some  little 
alteration  in  the  eastern  boundary,  made  in  or  about  the  year 
1740. 

"  At  a  meeting  of  the  society  held  in  1726,  Samuel  An- 
drus being  clerk,  a  vote  was  taken  appointing  James  Pike  as 
their  agent  on  behalf  of  hirftself  and  the  rest  of  said  society, 
to  petition  the  legislature,  for  liberty  to  lay  a  tax  of  two  pence 
on  the  acre  on  non-residents'  lands.  In  compliance  with  his 
instructions,  he  presented  his  petition  to  the  General  Assembly, 
in  1726,  in  which  it  is  stated  : 

"  That  through  the  great  indulgence  of  the  Assembly,  they  have  laid 
the  foundation  of  a  new  Society  for  their  attendance  on  public  worship  ; 
that  they  have  alrea&y  been  in  considerable  advance  towards  accommoda- 
ting a  Gospel  Minister  in  his  settlement ;  and  that  much  more  must  of 
necessity  be  advanced,  in  building  a  meeting  house,  minister's  house,  and 
other  things  requisite  for  a  Society ;  that  as  it  is  the  common  fate  of  new 
beginning  Societies,  so  we,  wanting  money  to  carry  on  those  affairs,  from 
your  Honours'  wonted  goodness  in  such. cases,  are  emboldened  to  make 
this  address ;  that  is,  to  lay  a  tax  of  two  pence  on  the  acre,  on  non-resi- 
dents' lands.  * 


80  MEMOIR.  [PABT  II. 

"  This  petition  was  granted,  and  they  were  authorised  to 
levy  a  tax  of  one  penny  on  the  acre,  for  twelve  years,  on  the 
lands  of  non-residents  ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  name  of 
Soutliington  was  established  by  the  General  Assembly,  as  the 
name  of  the  society. 

"  From  these  facts  it  appears,  that  the  society,  at  its  first 
organization,  was  small  and  feeble.  Yet  they  proceeded  at  once 
to  build  their  meeting-house  ;  which  was  erected  at  the  south- 
east part  of  the  burying-ground,  about  one  mile  north  of  the 
present  meeting-house.*  The  house  was  small,  as  appears  by 
the  timbers,  which  now  constitute  the  frame  of  a  building  near 
the  centre  of  the  town.  It  is  probable,  that  they  commenced 
meeting  in  their  new  house  about  the  year  1726  ;  as  they 
commenced  burying  in  the  grave-yard,  near  where  the  house 
stood,  about  that  time.f 

"  No  mention  is  made  of  any  minister,  except  Mr.  Buck, 
before  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Curtiss  in  1728  ;  nor  can  it  be 
known  with  certainty,  who  were  the  first  members  of  the 
church.  The  names  of  Hart,  Woodruff,  Barns,  Upson,  Dun- 
^am,  and  Clark,  occur  most  frequently  in  the  early  records  of 
the  settlement  ;  and  probably  some  of  them  were  among  the 
founders  of  the  society,  and  the  first  members  of  the  church. 
But  of  this  we  have  no  recorded  evidence. 

"  We  cannot  now  realize  the  inconvenience  under  which 
the  early  settlers  of  this  society  laboured,  and  the  sacrifices 
which  they  made,  in  establishing  and  maintaining  the  religious 
institutions,  which  they  have  transmitted  to  us.  These  were 
the  first  objects  of  their  toil  and  care  ;  and  it  should  be  our 
oreat  object  to  maintain  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Gos 
pel,  and  to  inculcate  upon  those  who  come  after  us  the  impor- 
tance of  supporting  the  worship  of  our  fathers'  God." 

*  My  own  impression  has  always  been,  that  this  first  meeting-house  stood  vest 
of  the  path  leading  through  the  burying-ground  from  south  to  north,  about  mid- 
way of  the  surface  of  the  hill ;  at  a  sightly  spot  over  against  two  large  trees ; 
•where  formerly  there  were  traces  of  earlier  foundations.  Still  another  tradition 
places  it  in  the  field  lying  south  of  the  burying-ground. — More  in  accordance  with 
usage,  and  therefore  more  probable,  is  the  sightlier  spot. — E.  R. 
^  *f  The  earliest  stone  I  was  ever  able  to  find,  many  years  ago,  bore  the  date  of 
*726.— E.  R. 


SECT.  IL]  CHURCH  IN  SOUTHINGTON.  31 

As  illustrating  some  of  the  inconveniences  above  referred 
to,  I  remember  the  tradition  current  in  my  boyhood,  and 
perhaps  still  current,  that  before  the  formation  of  the  society, 
while  the  people  yet  attended  on  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Whit- 
man, many  were  accustomed  to  go  on  foot  to  Farmington  on 
Saturday  afternoon,  a  distance  of  seven  or  eight  miles ;  and 
return  after  the  public  services  on  Sunday. 

No  church  appears  to  have  been  constituted  until  the  year 
1728  ;  when  the  Rev.  Jeremiah  Curtiss  was  chosen  the  first 
Pastor.  He  was  a  native  of  the  place  ;*  was  graduated  at 
Yale  College  in  1724  ;  and  was  ordained  as  Pastor,  November 
19,  1728.  The  earliest  deacons,  Thomas  Barnes  and  Samuel 
Woodruff,  were  chosen  a  week  later,  November  27, 1728.  The 
ministry  of  Mr.  Curtiss  continued  for  twenty-seven  years  ;  he 
having  been,  dismissed  in  November,  1755.  He  continued 
to  reside  in  the  place  for  nearly  forty  years  afterwards  ;  and 
died  March  21,  1795,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years.  The 
following  is  the  inscription  over  his  grave  : 

This  MONUMENT  is 

erected  in  Memory  of  the 

REV.   JEREMIAH    CUETISS. 

He  early  devoted  himself  to  the 

Gospel  Ministry. 

He  was  settled  Nov.  1728,  in  the  23d  year 

of  his  age,  and  continued  in  that  work  till 

he  was  regularly  dismissed,  Nov.  1754.f 

Integrity,  meekness,  and  humility, 

were  conspicuous  and  acknowledged 

parts  of  his  character,  both  in 

public  and  private  life. 
He  died  March  21,  1795,  in  the 

89th  year  of  his  age. 
The  memory  of  the  Just  is  blessed. 

*  In  my  childhood,  a  saying  of  his  was  current  in  tradition  to  the  effect,  "  that 
he  was  born  while  his  father  and  mother  were  both  gone  to  meeting  ;  "  that  is  to 
say,  while  they  were  absent  from  home,  over  Sunday,  in  Farmington. 

f  This  date,  1754,  is  wrong.  The  church  records  give  it  correctly  as  1755. 
The  list  of  admissions  to  the  church,  during  his  ministry,  closes  Sept.  28,  1755. 

6 


82  MEMOIR.  [PART  IL 

His  successor  was  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Chapman  ;  who 
graduated  at  the  College  of  New  Jersey  at  Princeton  in  1754  ; 
and  was  ordained  Pastor  over  the  church  in  Southington, 
March  17,  1756.  He  was  dismissed  September  28,  1774, 
after  a  ministry  of  more  than  eighteen  years  ;  but  continued 
to  reside  in  the  place  until  his  decease,  June  22,  1786,  aged 
sixty-one  years.  The  following  is  his  brief  epitaph  : 

This  Stone  is  erected 

in  memory  of 

REV.  BENJAMIN  CHAPMAN, 

who  died  June  26,  1786, 

Aged  62  years.* 

From  the  time  of  Mr.  Chapman's  dismissal  until  1780, 
a  period  of  more  than  five  years,  the  church  was  without  a 
Pastor. 

There  is  no  record  extant  of  the  names  or  number  of  the 
original  members  of  the  church.  During  1729,  the  year  fol- 
lowing the  settlement  of  Mr.  Curtiss,  twenty-five  persons  were 
admitted  ;  and  in  1741,  twenty-eight.  The  whole  number 
admitted  by  him,  during  his  ministry  of  twenty-seven  years, 
was  two  hundred  and  nineteen.  The  records  kept  by  Mr. 
Chapman,  it  seems,  were  so  irregular  and  confused,  that  the 
number  of  admissions  during  his  ministry,  and  until  the  settle- 
ment of  Mr.  Robinson,  cannot  now  be  ascertained.  There  is 
therefore  a  blank,  extending  from  the  beginning  of  1756  to  the 
close  of  1779. 

To  judge  from  the  preceding  statements,  the  church  in 
Southington,  during  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Curtiss,  and  appa- 
rently under  that  of  Mr.  Chapman,  was  not  without  a  good 
degree  of  prosperity.  It  partook  also  in  the  movement  and 
results  of  the  "  Great  Awakening  "  in  1740  and  the  following 
years.  The  people  were  mostly  farmers,  residing  upon  their 
separate  farms,  some  in  remote  parts  of  the  town.  Few,  if 

*  Here  again  the  figures  vary  from  those  of  the  church  records.  The  latter 
place  his  decease,  June  22,  1786,  aged  61  years. 


SECT.  H.]  SOUTfflNGTON,  ETC.  83 

any  of  them,  were  "  rich  in  this  world's  goods  ;  "  but  they  ap- 
pear to  have  been  moral  in  their  habits,  well  instructed  in  the 
doctrines  and  duties  of  the  Gospel,  and  regular  in  their  attend- 
ance on  the  services  of  the  sanctuary.  There  was  not  much  of 
literary  cultivation  among  them.  I  am  not  iware  of  more  than 
four  natives-  of  the  place  who  were  graduated  at  Yale  College 
prior  to  1780,  all  of  whom  became  ministers  of  the  Gospel, 
viz.  the  Rev.  Mr.  Curtiss  in  1724;  the  Rev.  Samuel  Newell  of 
Bristol  in  1739  ;  the  Rev.  Levi  Hart  D.  D.  of  Preston,  in 
1760  ;  and  the  Rev.  Levi  Laukton  of  Alstead,  N.  H.  in  1777.'* 
Nor  does  it  appear  that  down  to  the  same  period  and  later, 
any  person  educated  at  college  resided  in  the  place,  except 
the  ministers. 

The  soil  of  the  township,  at  the  present  day,  is  in  general 
of  moderate  fertility  ;  and  much  of  it  is  very  easy  of  tillage. 
It  is  best  adapted  to  the  production  of  rye,  oats,  and  Indian 
corn  ;  and  with  proper  culture,  large  crops  are  not  unfrequently 
obtained.  As  in  all  New  England,  so  here,  the  land  has  long 
been  worn  out  in  respect  to  wheat ;  though  this  grain  formerly 
flourished  well  upon  its  warm  and  loamy  plains,  f  A  century 
ago  the  people  of  the  neighbouring  towns  rather  looked  down 
upon  Southington.  According  to  the  testimony  of  aged  per- 
sons, living  at  the  close  of  the  last  century,  the  phrase  "  poor 
as  Panthorn "  was  a  proverbial  expression  to  denote  abject 
poverty.  At  the  time  of  Mr.  Robinson's  settlement,  it  was 
even  doubted,  whether  they  would  be  able  to  support  a  min- 
ister. This,  however,  was  during  the  last  half  of  the  revolu- 
tionary war ;  when  money  was  depreciated,  and  every  branch 
of  industry  and  labour  depressed.  The  little  produce  which 
the  farmers  were  able  to  raise,  could  hardly  be  converted  into 
money  on  any  terms. 

.It  appears  by  the  preceding  documents,  that  the  name 
Southington  was  not  given  to  the  society  until  1726.  Before 
that  time  it  was  known,  sometimes  at  least,  as  Panthorn  ; 
the  occasion  of  which  name  is  not  known.  It  has  usually  been 

*  Sprague's  Annuls,  II.  p.  373. 
f  Porter's  Histor.  Discourse,  p.  39. 


84  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

regarded  as  a  nickname  ;  but  it  is  found  in  the  earliest  pe- 
tition of  the  inhabitants  to  the  legislature,  as  above  given. 

The  society,  as  we  have  seen,  was  small  and  feeble  in  its 
beginning.  The  first  house  of  worship  on  the  hill  now  occu- 
pied by  the  burying-ground,  over  which  the  broad  highway 
once  ran  in  a  straight  course,  gave  place  in  1757  to  the  second 
meeting-house,  which  stood  near  the  middle  of  the  village 
green,  In  connection  with  it,  a  tall  and  graceful  steeple  was 
erected  by  subscription  in  1797.*  The  sound  of  the  fine- 
toned  bell  I  still  remember  with  pleasure.  This  second  house 
served  as  the  place  of  worship  for  more  than  seventy  years  ; 
until  superseded  by  the  present  edifice,  which  was  dedicated 
June  16,  1830. 

Southington  was  incorporated  as  a  town  by  the  legislature, 
at  its  October  session  in  1779.  The  boundary  lines  were  then 
defined  as  follows  :  South,  by  the  north  line  of  Cheshire  and 
Meriden  ;  West,  by  the  town  of  Waterbury  ;  North,  by  a 
highway  between  Farmington,  New  Cambridge  (Bristol),  and 
Southington  ;  East,  beginning  at  the  north-east  corner  of 
Southington,  in  a  twenty-rod  highway,  until  it  meets  Meriden 
north  line. — This  western  boundary,  of  course,  included  that 
portion  of  the  society  of  Farmingbury  (now  Wolcott),  which 
belonged  originally  to  Farmington. 


During  the  visits  of  Mr.  Robinson  at  New  Haven,  he  had 
occasionally  preached  at  Southington,  as  early  as  February, 
1777,  if  not  before  that  time.  In  March,  1778,  before  his  re- 
turn to  Yale  College  as  Tutor,  the  society  voted  to  "  app.y 
to  Mr.  Robinson  to  continue  to  preach  with  us."  This  he  ap- 
pears to  have  done,  though  not  regularly  ;  for  in  December  of 
that  year  we  find  his  friend  Lockwood  just  closing  an  engage- 
ment there.  At  the  same  time,  December  7, 1778,  the  society 
voted,  that  their  committee  should  "apply  to  Mr.  William 
Robinson,  Tutor  at  Yale  College,  to  come  and  settle  with  us 
in  the  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry." 

*  Society  Records. 


SECT.  II.]  CALL  OF  MR.  ROBINSON.  85 

The  further  progress  of  the  matter  is  shown  by  the  follow- 
ing votes  of  the  society  : 

February  1,  1779.  Voted,  that  the  Committee  apply  to  Mr.  Robinson, 
and  inform  (him)  that  we  still  continue  our  call  to  him  to  come  with  us  in 
the  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry ;  and  to  desire  him  to  come  and  preach 
with  us,  as  soon  as  his  circumstances  will  admit. 

September  6,  1779.  Voted,  that  we  continue  to  give  Mr.  Robinson 
a  call  to  settle  with  us  in  the  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry. 

Voted,  to  choose  a  Committee  to  confer  together  and  agree  upon  a  sum, 
that  shall  be  thought  proper  to  propose  to  Mr.  Robinson  for  a  settlement 
and  salary  ;  and  also  to  prepare  a  vote  to  lay  before  the  society  for  their 
consideration. 

September  10,  1779.  The  Committee  appointed  to  consider  of  proposals 
to  be  made  to  Mr.  Robinson,  reported  their  opinion  ;  upon  which : 

Voted,  to  give  Mr.  Robinson,  on  condition  of  his  settling  in  the  work 
of  the  Gospel  ministry  in  Southington,  one  hundred  pounds  lawful  money 
salary,  to  be  annually  paid  by  the  first  day  of  March ;  in  Wheat  at  four 
shillings  per  bushel,  or  Rye  at  two  shillings  and  eight  pence  per  bushel,  or 
Indian  Corn  at  two  shillings  per  bushel,  or  current  money  equivalent 
thereunto ;  and  also  to  deliver  twenty-five  cords  of  firewood,  cut  fit  for  use, 
at  his  dwelling-house  annually  by  the  first  day  of  March :  during  his  con- 
tinuance in  the  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry  in  said  Southington. 

And  also  two  hundred  pounds  settlement,  viz.  one  hundred  pounds  to 
be  paid  within  one  year  after  his  ordination,  at  the  same  rates  and  in  the 
same  manner  as  is  above  mentioned ;  and  the  remainder,  or  the  other  hun- 
dred pounds,  within  two  years  after  his  ordination,  to  be  paid  in  the  same 
manner  as  is  above  written. 

Voted,  that  Mr.  Jonathan  Root,  Capt.  Timothy  Clark,  and  John  Cur- 
tiss,  be  a  Committee  to  wait  on  Mr.  Robinson,  and  acquaint  him  with  the 
above  vote,  and  request  of  him  an  answer. 

The  Society  having  thus  completed  its  call  and  proposals 
to  Mr.  Robinson,  the  Church  also  took  action  in  the  matter  ; 
and  on  the  sixth,  of  October,  1779,  made  choice  of  Mr.  Robin- 
son as  their  Pastor.  A  committee,  consisting  of  Deac.  Timo- 
thy Clark,  Deac.  Jonathan  Woodruff,  and  Lieut.  Aaron  Web- 
ster, was  appointed  to  wait  on  Mr.  Robinson,  to  inform  him  of 
the  said  choice  and  request  an  answer. 

On  the  15th  of  November,  1779,  adjourned  meetings  of 
both  the  Society  and  Church  were  held  ;  and  the  following 
answer  of  Mr.  Robinson,  in  writing,  was  laid  before  them  : 


86  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

"To  the  Church  and  Society  in  Southington. 
"  BRETHREN  AND  BELOVED, 

"  He  who  is  King  in  Zion,  having  put  it  into  your  hearts 
earnestly  to  desire  the  re-settlement  of  the  Gospel  ministry 
among  you  ;  having  in  the  course  of  his  providence  caused  a 
remarkable  union  to  take  place  ;  and  having  also  caused,  that 
this  union  should  centre  upon  me  as  its  object  ;  I  have  thought 
it  my  duty  to  take  your  call  into  serious  and  careful  consider- 
ation. 

"  Notwithstanding  my  own  unworthiness  and  the  great 
importance  of  the  undertaking  ;  relying  on  the  favour  and 
assistance  of  Him,  whose  grace  I  humbly  hope  will  be  suf- 
ficient for  me  ;  I  had  determined  in  early  life  to  spend  and 
be  spent  in  the  service  of  my  Master,  in  the  character  of  a 
Minister.  Being  sent  for  by  you,  therefore,  I  made  no  hesita- 
tion in  coming  unto  you.  I  have  laboured  with  you  for  several 
mouths  ;  in  which  time  you  have  had  opportunity  to  become 
acquainted  with  my  manner  of  life  and  preaching. 

"  As  a  people,  you  have  ever  appeared  disposed  to  lend 
m  e  an  attentive  ear,  while  explaining  the  great  things  of  the 
Kingdom  ;  and  now,  in  a  deliberate  manner,  have  kindly  de- 
sired me  to  take  the  immediate  charge  and  oversight  of  you  as 
a  Church  and  people.  You  have  further  evidenced  the  sin- 
cerity of  your  desires  and  affection,  by  engaging,  according  to 
Gospel  rule,  to  furnish  me  with  a  handsome  and  generous  sub- 
sistence during  my  continuance  with  you  in  the  important 
work.  From  such  favourable  beginnings,  I  have  been  induced 
to  hope  for  happy  consequences. 

"  Having  taken  the  matter  into  serious  consideration,  and 
having  endeavoured  to  make  use  of  every  proper  help  for 
rightly  determining  my  judgment,  /  do  now  therefore  signify 
my  acceptance  of  your  call  ;  relying  upon  you  for  every 
proper  encouragement  ;  and  promising,  by  Divine  assistance, 
to  be  a  steady  and  faithful  Pastor  to  your  souls. 

"  I  have  said,  '  /  do  now  signify  my  acceptance  of  your 
call'  Upon  this  give  me  leave  to  observe,  that  although 


Sacr.  IL]  LETTER  OF  ACCEPTANCE.  87 

there  has  been  nothing  in  your  conduct,  which  gives  me  the 
least  ground  to  suspect  your  sincerity ;  yet  when  I  observe 
the  manner  in  which  the  best,  the  most  faithful  and  respecta- 
ble ministers  in  the  country,  are  treated  at  the  present  day,  I 
feel  myself  necessitated  to  proceed  with  the  utmost  care  and 
circumspection.  I  feel  myself  necessitated  to  bear  public  tes- 
timony against  the  gross  fraud,  which  is  now  almost  universally 
practised  in  the  payment  of  salaries  ;  and  to  assure  you,  that 
as  I  mean  to  devote  my  life  to  your  service,  I  shall  depend 
upon  your  punctually  complying,  at  all  times,  with  the  full 
spirit  and  intention  of  your  proposals.  While  this  is  the  case, 
(and  I  flatter  myself  it  will  always  be  so,)  you  may  rest  assured, 
that  the  main  object  of  my  attention  shall  be  the  interests  of 
your  precious  and  immortal  souls. 

"  Now  that  grace  and  mercy  may  so  abound  among  us,  as 
that  your  minister  may  come  to  you  in  the  spirit  of  the  Mas- 
ter, in  the  fulness  of  the  blessing  of  the  Gospel  of  peace  ;  and 
that  you,  by  your  Christian  conduct,  may  encourage  his  heart 
and  strengthen  his  hands  in  the  performance  of  his  work,  is 
the  sincere  desire  and  prayer  to  God  of  him  who  subscribes 
himself 

"  Your  friend  and  servant  in  the  Lord, 

"  WILLIAM  ROBINSON. 
"  Southington,  November  15,  1779." 

After  the  reading  of  this  reply,  the  Society  voted  "  to 
accept  the  answer  of  Mr.  Robinson  to  their  call,  given  in 
writing."  They  also  appointed  Mr.  Jonathan  Root,  Capt. 
Daniel  Lankton,  and  Lieut.  Aaron  Webster,  "  to  be  a  Com- 
mittee to  join  with  the  Church's  Committee,  to  consult  with 
Mr.  Robinson  and  appoint  the  time  for  his  ordination."  Three 
weeks  later  they  chose  Mr.  Jonathan  Root,  Capt.  Asa  Bray, 
and  Capt.  Reuben  Hart,  as  a  Committee  "  to  represent  the 
Society  before  the  ordaining  Council." 

On  the  same  day  with  the  Society,  and  at  another  subse- 
quent meeting,  the  Church  adopted  the  following  votes  : 


88  MEMOIK.  [PABT  II. 

November  15,  1779.  Voted,  to  comply  with  Mr.  Robinson's  answer 
with  respect  to  his  settling  in  the  work  of  the  Gospel  ministry  with  the 
said  Church. 

At  the  same  meeting,  Deac.  James  Smith,  Deac.  Timothy  Clark,  Deac. 
Jonathan  Woodruff,  Capt.  Josiah  Cowles,  and  Lieut.  Jonathan  Andrews, 
were  chosen  a  Committee,  to  confer  with  Mr.  Robinson  upon  a  Plan  of 
Church  Discipline,  and  exhibit  the  same  to  the  next  Church  meeting. 

Voted  also,  that  Deac.  Timothy  Clark  be  appointed  to  wait  on  the 
Committee  of  the  Association,  to  take  their  directions  respecting  the  ex- 
amination of  Mr.  Robinson. 

November  SO,  1779.  The  Committee  appointed  at  the  last  meeting,  to 
confer  with  Mr.  Robinson  upon  a  Plan  of  Church  Discipline,  reported,  that 
they  had  agreed  with  Mr.  Robinson  upon  a  Confession  of  Faith,  Church 
Covenant,  and  Articles  of  Discipline  ;  and  exhibited  the  same. 

Voted,  to  adopt  unanimously  the  Confession  of  Faith  and  Church  Cove- 
nant. 

Voted  also  to  adopt  the  Articles  of  Church  Discipline. 

Voted,  that  Captain  Josiah  Cowles,  Deac.  Timothy  Clark,  Lieut.  Aaron 
Webster,  and  John  Curtiss,  be  a  Committee  to  wait  on  Mr.  Robinson,  in 
order  to  agree  with  him  upon  a  time  for  his  ordination ;  and  also  to  agree 
upon  an  ordaining  Council,  and  to  send  letters  to  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Church. 

Voted,  that  the  same  Committee  be  desired  to  appoint  a  day  for  the 
Church  fast,  previous  to  ordination ;  and  invite  two  of  the  neighbouring 
Ministers  to  preach  upon  it. 

The  Confession  of  Faith  and  Covenant,  thus  unanimously 
adopted  by  the  church,  were  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Kobinson  ;  and 
have  remained  until  the  present  day  in  full  validity  and  with- 
out change.* 

The  day  of  the  ordination  was  appointed  for  Wednesday, 
the  12th  day  of  January,  1780  ;  and  letters  of  invitation  to 
join  in  the  ordaining  Council  were  sent  to  the  churches  in 
Farmington,  New  Cambridge  (now  Bristol),  Farmingbury, 
Cheshire,  and  Kensington.  President  Stiles  had  consented  to 
preach  the  sermon  ;  and  a  separate  letter  of  invitation  was 
sent  to  him  personally.  The  church  in  Yale  College,  of  which 
Mr.  Robinson  was  a  member,  and  of  which  the  Rev.  Dr.  Dag- 

*  See  the  "  Confession  of  Faith  and  Covenant  of  the  Congregational  Church  in 
Southington,"  printed  in  1851. 


SECT.  IL]  ORDAINING  COUNCIL.  89 

gett,  as  Professor  of  Divinity,  was  still  Pastor,  seems  not  to 
have  been  invited  ;  or,  at  least,  was  not  represented. 

The  letter  to  Dr.  Stiles  has  been  preserved  in  connection 
with  his  Diary.  It  is  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Robinson  ; 
and  reads  as  follows  : 

The  Church  of  Christ  in  Southington,  to  the  Rev.  Ezra  Stiles  D.  D. 
President  of  Yale  College,  sendeth  greeting : 

It  having  pleased  God  in  his  providence  to  unite  the  hearts  of  this 
Church  in  the  choice  of  Mr.  William  Robinson  for  our  Gospel  Minister, 
this  is  to  desire  your  presence  on  the  twelfth  day  of  January  next,  to  assist 
in  setting  him  apart  to  that  important  work,  according  to  the  directions  of 
the  Gospel. 

Wishing  that  grace,  mercy,  and  peace  may  be  multiplied  unto  you,  we 
subscribe  ourselves  in  the  name  and  at  the  request  of  the  Church, 
Your  brethren  in  the  Lord, 

JOSIAH    COWLES,         A 

TIMOTHY  CLARK,  (    Committee  of 

AARON  WEBSTER,  C     the  Church. 

JOHN  CCTRTISS,  J 
Southington,  Dec.  20,  1779. 

N.  B.  The  Council  is  desired  to  meet  at  12  o'clock  the  preceding  day, 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  Jonathan  Root,  a  little  north  of  the  meeting-house.* 

The  winter  of  1779-80  is  still  remembered  as  the  cele- 
brated Hard  Winter  ;  when  the  inner  bay  of  New  York  was 
frozen  over  from  the  city  to  Staten  Island,  and  the  roads  in 
all  parts  of  the  country  were  blocked  up  by  immense  masses 
of  snow.  In  consequence  of  the  heavy  snows,  the  Council  was 
unable  to  convene  at  the  time  appointed  ;  and  the  ordination 
was  deferred  till  the  day  following.  No  record  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  the  Council  is  known  to  exist,  except  that  preserved  by 
Pres.  Stiles  in  his  remarkable  manuscript  Diary.  The  follow- 
ing extract  comprises  the  whole  of  his  entry  relative  to  the 
subject : 

"  1780,  Jan.  12.  This  was  to  have  been  the  day  of  ordi- 
nation, according  to  the  letters  missive  which  I  received  from 

*  On  the  back  of  this  letter  Dr.  Stiles  endorsed  the  proceedings  at  the  ordina- 
tion ;  but  gives  them  more  fully  in  MB  Diary,  as  copied  further  on. 


90  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

the  church  of  Southington.  But  through  the  severity  of  the 
day,  and  high  winds,  blowing  the  snow  and  rilling  up  the 
paths,  only  two  churches  and  three  ministers*  were  convened 
to-day,  and  it  was  deferred  till  to-morrow.  This  afternoon, 
however,  we  formed  and  examined  Mr.  Robinson,  the  Pastor 
elect ;  and  the  church  committee  laid  before  us  their  transac- 
tions and  votes  respecting  his  call.  In  the  evening  Mr.  New- 
ell arrived  ;  having  been  all  day  in  coming  seven  miles,  and 
forty  men  employed  in  opening  the  ways.  Next  day  arrived 
Mr.  Pitkin  and  Mr.  Gillet  ;  the  latter  came  part  of  the  way 
on  snow-shoes.  The  Council  this  evening  allotted  the  parts, 
and  voted  to  proceed  to  ordination  to-morrow. 

"Jan.  13.  This  day  the  ordination  of  the  Eev.  William 
Robinson,  late  Senior  Tutor  of  Yale  College,  was  attended  ; 
a  very  large  congregation  assembled  on  the  occasion. 

"  Extract  of  Result  of  Council. 

"  At  a  meeting  of  an  Ecclesiastical  Council  of  Elders  and 
Delegates  of  the  Churches  of  Christ,  convened  at  Southington, 
January  12,  1780  : 

"  Elders  present :  Rev.  Dr.  Stiles,  President  of  Yale  College. 
Rev.  Samuel  Newell,  Pastor  of  the  Church  in  New  Cam- 
bridge. Rev.  Timothy  Pitkin,  Pastor  of  the  Church  in 
Farmington.  Rev.  John  Foot,  Pastor  of  the  Church  in 
N.  Cheshire.  Rev.  Alexander  Gillet,  Pastor  of  the 
Church  in  Farmingbury.  Rev.  Benoni  Upson,  Pastor  of 
the  Church  in  Kensington. 

"  Delegates  present  :  Deac.  Stephen  Hotchkiss,  from  Church 
in  N.  Cambridge.  Deac.  SethLee,  from  Church  in  Farm- 
ington. Deac.  Samuel  Beach,  from  Church  in  N.  Cheshire. 
Brig.  Gen.  Seth  Hart,  from  Church  in  Kensington. 

"Dr.  Stiles  was  chosen  Moderator,  and  Mr.  Foot  and 
Gen.  Hart  were  chosen  Scribes. 

"  Mr.  Upson  made  the  first  prayer  ;  then  I  preached  on 

*  Dr.  Stiles  and  Messrs.  Foot  and  Upson. 


SECT.  H.]  ORDINATION     DR.  STILES.  91 

1  Tim.  iv.  14-16.  Mr.  Foot  made  the  ordaining  prayer,  during 
the  imposition  of  the  hands  of  the  Presbytery.  Mr.  Newell 
gave  the  charge.  Mr.  Pitkin  made  the  concluding  prayer  ; 
and  Mr.  Foot  gave  the  right  hand  of  fellowship.  These,  with 
Mr.  Gillet,  laid  on  hands.  Hands  were  not  laid  on  during  the 
charge,  according  to  custom  lately  in  some  of  the  Consocia- 
tions ;  though  this  Council  was  not  a  consociated  Council, 
but  one  elected  at  large.  Three  Psalms  were  sung  in  Dr. 
Watts'  version.  I  was  two  hours  in  sermon.  We  began 
about  eleven,  and  finished  at  three  o'clock  ;  nearly  four  hours 
in  service.  A  very  decent,  crowded,  and  attentive  auditory. 
The  whole  was  performed  with  a  serious  solemnity. 

"  The  Council  dined  at  Mr.  Boot's.  After  dinner,  as 
Moderator,  I  concluded,  as  I  had  begun  the  Council,  with 
prayer  ;  and  dissolved  it. 

"  Jan.  14.  Very  blustering.  Visited  the  venerable  and 
aged,  the  Kev.  Mr.  Curtiss,  ^Et.  80  et  supra,*  the  first  Pastor 
of  the  church  in  Southington,  who  resigned  the  ministry  about 
twenty  years  ago.j'  He  attended  the  ordination  with  entire 
satisfaction,  and  dined  with  the  Council. — Visited  also  Rev. 
Mr.  Chapman,  dismissed  five  or  six  years  since  from  the  pas- 
toral charge  of  the  church. 

"  Jan.  16.  Lord's  day.  I  preached  all  day  for  Mr.  Rob- 
inson, A.  M.  Rom.  v.  21;  P.  M.  1  Thess.  ii.  19,  20.  After  sermon 
Mr.  Robinson  performed  a  baptism. 

"  Jan.  18.     Returned  to  New  Haven.     Snow  very  deep." 

Thus  was  Mr.  Robinson  introduced  to  a  sphere  of  active 
life  and  duty,  in  which  he  continued  for  more  than  forty-one 
years.  He  found  a  home,  in  which  the  whole  of  his  after 
lite  was  passed  ;  and  his  ashes,  with  those  of  many  members  of 
his  large  family,  now  repose  in  the  public  cemetery  upon  the 
hill,  surrounded  by  the  numerous  graves  of  his  parishioners. 

The  circumstances  of  his  settlement  were  auspicious.     He 

*  The  good  President  is  here  a  little  at  fault.     Mr.  Curtisa  died  in  1795,  aged 
eighty-eight  years.     At  this  time,  of  covirse,  he  was  seventy-three  years  of  age. 
f  More  nearly,  twenty-five  years. 


92  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

was  now  in  the  twenty-sixth  year  of  his  age  ;  the  people  of  his 
charge  were  united  in  their  respect  and  affection  for  him  ;  and 
they  had  pledged  to  him  what  he  regarded  as  "  a  handsome 
and  generous"  support.  But  the  first  ten  years  of  his  ministry 
were  shrouded  with  heavy  domestic  afflictions  ;  and  the  resto- 
ration of  peace  and  the  consequent  change  of  circumstances 
rendered  his  income  inadequate  for  the  support  of  his  family. 
Hence  a  new  direction  was  given  to  his  efforts  ;  one  which  he 
himself  had  never  foreseen.  Instead  of  the  habits  of  a  secluded 
student,  he  acquired  those  of  an  active  business  life. 

As  to  his  salary,  however  small  it  may  now  appear,  (and  it 
was  never  increased,)  he  was  at  the  time  probably  at  least  on 
an  equality  with  most  of  his  brethren  settled  round  about  him. 
His  grandfather  had  been  settled  on  sixty  pounds  ;  and  Dr. 
Bellamy,  in  1769,  had  fixed  the  amount  of  his  own  salary  at 
eighty  pounds.  In  1758  Dr.  Smalley  was  installed  in  New 
Britain  on  a  salary  of  fifty  pounds  and  wood,  with  a  settle- 
ment of  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  ;  but  in  1763  his  salary 
was  increased  to  ninety  pounds.*  Dr.  Strong,  of  Hartford,  had 
one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds.f  By  the  terms  of  his  con- 
tract with  the  society,  Mr.  Kobinson  was  to  receive  his  dues 
mainly  in  various  kinds  of  grain  at  fixed  rates  ;  and  the  exact 
accounts  kept  by  him  show,  that  he  thus  at  first,  in  many  in- 
stances, collected  his  own  salary,  in  produce,  from  individuals. 

*  Porter's  Histor.  Discourse  on  Farmington,  pp.  39,  67. 
f  Dr.  Sprague's  Annals,  II.  p.  35. 


SECT.  III.]  PROFESSIONAL  LIFE.  93 


SECTION   III. 

FIRST    HALF    OF    HIS    MINISTRY. 

1780-1800. 

THE  professional  life  of  Mr.  Robinson,  after  his  settlement 
at  Southington,  may  be  considered  in  two  parts ;  the  first  ex- 
tending over  about  twenty-one  years,  and  ending  with  the  last 
century  ;  the  other  beginning  with  the  present  century,  and 
embracing  the  remainder  of  his  ministry  until  his  dismission. 
The  materials  for  an  account  of  the  first  portion  are  exceed- 
ingly scanty  ;  as  are  also  those  in  respect  to  the  last,  excepting 
the  recollections  of  his  family  and  a  few  surviving  friends,  over 
which  are  already  spread  the  deepening  shadows  of  from  thirty 
to  almost  sixty  years. 

During  his  previous  visits  to  Southington,  Mr.  Robinson 
had  made  his  home  in  the  house  of  Deac.  Timothy  Clark,  who 
lived  a  mile  west  of  the  meeting-house,  on  West  street,  so 
called.  After  his  ordination  he  continued  to  be  an  inmate  of 
the  sa'me  family,  until  ready  to  set  up  housekeeping  for  him- 
self. 

About  a  month  after  his  ordination,  Mr.  Robinson  was 
married,  by  thj3  Rev.  Mr.  Perry,  February  8,  1780,  to  Miss 
Naomi  Wolcott  of  East  Windsor,  to  whom  allusion  has  already 
been  made  ;  and  to  whom  he  had  now  been  engaged  during 
five  or  six  years.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Capt.  Gideon 
Wolcott  and  Naomi  Olmstead  his  second  wife,  and  was  born 
Sept.  28,  1754.*  She  still  remained  for  some  weeks  at  her 
own  home  in  the  family  of  her  brother  ;  and  did  not  remove 

*  For  some  account  of  the  Wolcott  family,  see  Appendix  D. 


94  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

to  Southington  until  the  latter  part  of  April.  Mr.  Robinson 
rented  a  house  standing  on  the  west  side  of  Queen  street,  so 
called,  about  a  mile  and  three  quarters  north  of  the  meeting- 
house, at  the  north  end  of  the  remaining  part  of  the  former 
twenty-rod  highway,  which  ran  over  the  hurying-ground  hill. 
The  house  was  afterwards  occupied  for  many  years  by  Na- 
thanael  Jones.  Here  the  newly  married  couple  began  their 
housekeeping  with  pleasing  hopes  ;  which  however  were  des- 
tined to  be  fleeting. 

It  is  difficult  at  the  present  day  to  realize  the  economy 
and  shifts,  which  our  fathers  and  mothers  were  compelled  to 
practise  in  their  household  affairs,  especially  about  the  close 
of  the  revolutionary  war.  One  specimen  may  here  suffice.  In 
a  letter  which  Mr.  Robinson  wrote  to  his  wife  while  she  yet 
remained  at  her  home,  dated  April  5,  1780,  occurs  this  pas- 
sage :  "  I  have  purchased  of  Mr.  Trow  bridge  a  clock,  brass 
kettle,  iron  pot,  coffee  mill,  pair  of  flats,  pair  of  brass  candle- 
sticks, brass  andirons,  and  looking-glass  ;  so  I  hope  we  shall 
be  able,  upon  the  whole,  to  set  up  housekeeping  with  some  little 
decency."  In  a  postscript  he  adds  :  "  A  warming-pan  I  can 
borrow  for  the  next  winter."  The  warming-pan  would  seem 
to  have  been  a  matter  of  previous  discussion;  for  in  a  letter  to 
her  husband  of  the  same  date,  and  which  must  have  crossed 
his  on  the  road,  the  lady,  who  apparently  had  a  mind  of  her 
own,  writes  curtly  :  "  I  have  purchased  a  warming-pan." 

Such  too  was  then  the  depreciated  state  of  the  continental 
currency,  that  the  prices  paid  for  various  articles  now  seem 
absolutely  fabulous.  In  the  letters  which  passed  in  1779,  it 
is  mentioned,  that  a  fine  piece  of  satin  might  be  obtained  at 
fifty-six  dollars  the  yard.  Cider  at  the  same  time  was  from 
twenty  to  thirty  dollars  the  barrel.  In  February,  1780,  Mr. 
Robinson  bought  ten  and  a  half  bushels  of  wheat  for  four  hun- 
dred and  twenty  dollars,  or  forty  dollars  the  bushel.  At  the 
same  time  oats  were  sold  at  ten  dollars  the  bushel,  and  flax  at 
five  dollars  the  pound. 

Mrs.  Robinson  brought  with  her  to  Southington,  as  a  do- 


SECT.  IH.]  HOUSEKEEPING.  95 

rnestic,  a  coloured  girl,  named  Mercy.  She  was  a  slave  ;  and 
married,  a  few  years  later,  Antony,  a  coloured  man  in  the 
family  of  Dr.  Joshua  Porter  ;  where  she  spent  the  rest  of  her 
life.  She  had  one  son,  Peter  ;  who,  as  having  been  born  after 
March  1,  1784,  was  by  law  not  a  slave  ;  but  was  held  to  ser- 
vice as  an  apprentice,  until  the  age  of  twenty-five  years.* 
This  service  belonged  to  Mr.  Robinson.  The  boy,  up  to  the 
age  of  fourteen,  lived  mostly  in  the  family  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Smalley  of  New  Britain.  He  then  returned  to  Mr.  Robinson 
until  his  majority,  at  twenty-five  ;  and  was  afterwards  em- 
ployed by  him  for  several  years  as  a  hired  labourer.  Peter  was 
not  very  intelligent,  nor  very  trustworthy  ;  and  afterwards  lived 
a  roving  life  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town,  where  he  died 
some  years  later. 

As  early  as  1779,  some  of  the  letters  of  Mr.  Robinson 
speak  of  the  severe  illness  of  his  favourite  sister  Mary.  Her 
disease  was  a  very  unusual  species  of  sore  throat  ;  which  at 
times  hindered  her  from  taking  any  sustenance  for  several 
days.  At  other  times  she  would  seem  to  be  very  much  bet- 
ter. In  the  latter  part  of  July  of  this  year  (1780),  she  was 
able  to  visit  her  brother  and  his  wife  at  Southington  ;  and 
returned  home  with  good  hopes.  But  the  disease  recurred 
again  with  still  greater  violence  ;  and  she  sunk  under  it,  and 
died  October  11,  1780,  in  the  twenty-fifth  year  of  -her  age. 
She  died  in  great  distress,  and  strictly  of  starvation,  as  was 
supposed.  Her  father's  record  speaks  of  her  as  having  died  in 
good  hope  of  a  blessed  immortality. f  Her  letters  show  her  to 
have  been  a  person  of  vivacity,  of  much  good  sense,  and  of 
more  intellectual  cultivation,  than  was  perhaps  common  at  that 
time  among  females  of  her  position.  Her  brother  always  spoke 
of  her,  throughout  his  life,  with  the  utmost  tenderness. 

The  next  spring,  April  12, 1781,  Mrs.  Robinson  gave  birth 
to  her  only  child,  a  son,  William,  who  died  four  days  after- 
wards. 

The  main  highway  through  Southington  was,  at  that  time, 

*  Laws  of  Connecticut.     Connecticut  Reports, 
•j-  See  above,  pp.  52,  53. 


96  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

one  of  the  great  roads  of  communication  between  the  east  and 
the  American  army  stationed  around  New  York  and  in  New 
Jersey.  In  1781  the  French  troops  from  Newport  marched 
through  the  place,  on  their  way  south  to  the  siege  of  York- 
town.  They  were  everywhere  welcomed  by  the  inhabitants ; 
who  opened  their  houses  and  set  out  refreshments  for  their 
allies.  My  father  used  to  relate,  that  two  French  officers 
entered  his  house,  where  the  tea-table  was  spread,  and  they  par- 
took. Some  sprigs  of  sage  were  on  the  table  ;  pointing  to 
which,  one  of  the  officers  remarked,  "  One  do  givedis  de  horse 
in  my  country."  But  besides  reinforcements  for  the  army, 
there  were  also  companies  and  stragglers  returning  from  the 
army,  some  of  them  sick  or  disabled  ;  and  often  scattering 
along  their  route  the  terrors  of  small-pox  and  other  diseases. 

At  that  time  inoculation  for  the  small-pox  was  common  j 
vaccination  being  as  yet  unknown.  Within  my  own  recollec- 
tion, in  the  early  years'  of  the  present  century,  private  hospitals 
were  occasionally  opened,  in  the  outskirts  of  towns,  as  far  as 
possible  from  any  other  house,  where  patients  were  received 
and  treated  for  this  terrible  disease.  In  the  early  months  of 
1782,  it  would  appear  that  danger  was  apprehended  from  the 
spread  of  small-pox  ;  and  a  temporary  hospital  was  established 
in  Southington.  To  this  hospital  Mrs.  Robinson  repaired ;  but 
through  the  ignorance  or  mismanagement  of  the  attending 
physician,  the  disease  terminated  fatally,  and  she  expired  April 
16,  1782,  in  the  twenty-eighth  year  of  her  age.  She  was 
buried  the  next  day  ;  and  on  the  day  following  Mr.  Robinson 
wrote  to  his  father  an  account  of  the  aggravated  features  of 
her  case.  It  was  written  in  the  anguish  of  his  soul ;  and  may 
stand  here  as  a  slight  contribution  to  the  history  of  the  town  : 

"  Southington,  April  18,  1782. 

"  DEAR  AND  HONOURED  FATHER, — I  yesterday  followed 
the  corpse  of  my  dear  wife  to  the  grave.  Mrs.  Eobinson  is  no 
more.  As  we  live  upon  a  great  road  of  travel  from  the  army, 
she  had  long  been  timorous  and  fearful  of  taking  the  small- 


SECT  III.]  DEATH  OF  HIS  FIRST  WIFE.  97 

pox.  She  therefore  determined  upon  being  inoculated.  In 
consequence  of  this  determination,  a  general  leave  having  been 
previously  given  by  the  town  for  this  purposs,  she  put  herself 
under  the  care  of  a  certain  Dr.  Richards  of  Farmington,  who 
had  been  highly  recommended  to  her  ;  and  went  into  a  hos- 
pital, at  about  the  distance  of  a  mile  and  a  half  from  home. 

"  This  man,  directly  contrary  to  my  particular  direction 
and  his  own  promise,  inoculated  her  and  a  number  more  only 
with  the  matter  which  had  collected  in  the  arm  of  a  person, 
who  had  been  inoculated  but  two  days  before.  It  so  happened, 
that  in  the  course  of  about  six  days  she  had  a  little  breaking 
out  upon  the  body,  as  is  very  frequent.  This  was  at  once,  by 
the  ignorant  Richards,  declared  to  be  the  small-pox.  At  the 
end  of  fourteen  days  she  was  therefore  directed  to  be  cleaned 
up  and  dismissed.  This  was  a  week  ago  last  Saturday. 

"  She  continued  well  till  Tuesday  morning,  when  she  was 
taken  with  violent  pains  in  her  head  and  back.  As  she  had 
been  very  apprehensive  herself,  that  she  had  not  had  the 
small-pox,  she  at  once  concluded  that  these  feelings  were  the 
symptoms  of  its  approach  in  the  natural  way.  She  continued 
extremely  ill  and  very  much  distressed  till  Saturday,  when  it 
was  evident  to  the  physician  who  attended  her,  and  indeed  to 
every  one  that  saw  her,  that  her  difficulty  was  what  she  had 
apprehended.  I  therefore  removed  her  back  again  to  the  hos- 
pital ;  and  after  meeting  on  the  Sabbath,  I  went  in  myself  to 
attend  upon  her.  She  had  been  taken  with  the  disorder  com- 
mon to  women  just  at  the  time  of  the  eruption  ;  which  was  a 
a  little  before  morning  on  Friday.  This  now  rose  to  an  ex- 
ceeding height.  Dr.  Hosmer,  as  being  the  most  skilful  phy- 
sician in  the  neighbourhood,  was  by  her  desire  called  to  attend 
her.  The  power  of  medicine  was  however  baffled  ;  and  she 
expired  in  my  arms  at  about  six  o'clock  on  Tuesday  evening. 

"  Pray  for  me,  my  dear  Father.     You  yourself  have  felt 

grief ;  I  know  that  you  will  feel  for  your  distressed  son.     My 

grief,  I  fear,  will  be  greater  than  I  can  bear.     While  my  house 

was  a  house  of  joy,  my  Father  has  always  declined  my  urgent 

7 


98  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

invitations  to  come  and  rejoice  with  me.  But,  my  dear 
Father,  you  love  to  mourn  ;  0,  do  not,  then,  refuse  me  the 
consolation  of  your  company,  and  that  of  my  sister.  0,  come 
and  see  my  empty  house,  and  drop  with  me  a  tear  upon  the 
grave  of  my  dearest  wife.  Farewell,  my  Father,  and  do  not 
forget  the  distresses  of  your  son  !  WILLIAM  ROBINSON. 

"  P.  S.  Towards  twenty,  out  of  about  forty,  who  were  in- 
oculated with  Mrs.  Robinson,  were  treated  in  the  same  man- 
ner, and  have  shared  the  same  fate  ;  except  that  their  lives  are 
not  yet  gone." 

The  above  touching  appeal  to  his  father  drew  out  no  re- 
sponse ;  and  although  the  latter  lived  for  a  quarter  of  a  century 
after  this  event,  he  never  visited  his  son  in  Southington. 

The  affection  of  Mr.  Robinson  towards  his  first  wife, 
with  whom  he  was  united  a  little  over  two  years,  was  the 
earliest  and  probably  the  most  devoted  attachment  of  his  life. 
He  loved  her  for  her  personal  qualities  ;  and  cherished  the 
highest  respect  for  her  character.  This  indeed  is  manifested 
in  the  inscription  upon  her  tombstone  : 

In  Memory  of 

MRS.  NAOMI  ROBINSON, 

Wife  of  the  Rev.  William  Robinson. 

She  was  born  at  East  Windsor,  Sept.  28,  1754, 

of  the  ancient  and  honourable  family  of  the 

WOLCOTTS. 

She  was  peculiarly  beloved  in  life, 

and  at  death  universally  lamented. 

She  died  of  the  Small  Pox. 

in  the  28th  year  of  her  age, 

April  16th,  1782. 

Hers  was  the  character  so  strikingly 
described  in  the  31st  chap,  of  Proverbs  ; 

and  to  none  could  the  closing  verse 

be  more  properly  applied,  than  to  her : 

"  Many  daughters  have  done  virtuously, 

but  thou  excellest  them  all." 


SECT.  II  .]  AGRICULTURE.     HOMESTEAD  99 

At  what  time  Mr.  Robinson  began  to  turn  his  attention  to 
agriculture,  is  not  known  ;  but  it  seems  to  have  been  early. 
It  was  doubtless  the  smallness  of  his  salary,  and  the  necessities 
of  a  family,  with  which  he  had  now  begun  to  be  acquainted, 
that  led  him  to  the  cultivation  of  a  farm,  as  a  means  of  meet- 
ing these  wants,  and  of  obtaining  a  more  comfortable  support. 
In  so  doing  he  had  before  him  the  example  of  Edwards  and  Bel- 
lamy, and  a  host  of  other  clergymen ;  who  were  driven  to  have 
recourse  to  the  same  means  of  subsistence  for  their  families. 

It  was  during  the  summer  of  this  year,  1782,  that  he  made 
his  first  purchase  of  real  estate.  He  bought  of  Samuel  Cur- 
tiss  the  homestead  of  the  latter,  which  had  been  a  portion  of 
the  farm  of  his  father,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Curtiss.  It  was  situated 
on  the  east  side  of  the  high  road,  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  north  of  the  meeting-house;  and  besides  a  well-built  house 
with  a  lean-to  or  long  back  roof,  comprised  about  forty  five 
acres  of  land  of  medium  quality.  The  date  of  the  deed  is 
August  19,  1782  ;  the  consideration  nine  hundred  pounds. 
Three  years  later,  for  the  consideration  of  forty-eight  pounds, 
he  added  about  four  acres  more  on  the  south,  including  a  beau- 
tiful copse  of  oak  wood  covering  the  hill-side.  By  further 
gradual  additions  on  the  south,  the  homestead  was  in  a  few 
years  enlarged  to  about  seventy  acres  in  all. 

On  this  homestead  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
His  next  neighbours,  at  first,  were  his  two  predecessors  in  the 
ministry,  Mr.  Curtiss  on  the  north,  and  Mr.  Chapman  on  the 
south.  How  he  contrived  to  pay  the  £900,  or  $3,000,  due  as 
the  price  of  the  first  purchase,  is  not  known;  as  he  received 
no  patrimony  from  his  father.  But  he  often  spoke  in  after  life 
of  the  great  kindness  shown  to  him  by  Col.  Jeremiah  Wads- 
worth  of  Hartford,  in  that  he  had  loaned  him  money  in  his 
time  of  need,  letting  it  lie  for  many  years  ;  and  thus  enabled 
him.  to  lay  a  foundation  for  success.  Not  improbably  the 
payment  for  this  homestead  may  have  been  the  main  occasion 
referred  to.  It  is  also  a  recollection  of  my  boyhood,  that  once 
when  I  was  with  him  in  Hartford,  he  called  on  the  maiden 


100  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

sisters  of  Col.  Wadsworth,  to  pay  the  interest  of  money  of 
theirs,  which  he  had  in  his  hands. 

Here,  in  his  own  home,  Mr.  Eohinson  appears  to  have 
commenced  his  farming  operations.  They  were  at  first  limited. 
He  seems  to  have  begun  by  letting  out  his  fields  on  shares  ; 
and  this  practice  he  continued  more  or  less  through  life.  It 
was  often  a  great  benefit  to  a  mechanic,  who  had  no  land  of 
his  own,  thus  to  be  able  to  till  a  field,  and  gain  a  part  of  the 
crop.  In  the  language  of  Dr.  Barnes,  who  was  in  later  years 
his  family  physician,  and  learned  it  from  the  old  people  of  the 
town,  "  he  purchased  cows  and  let  them  out ;  he  kept  bees,  and 
let  them  out  ;  he  bought  land  and  let  it  out ;  all  on  shares." 
As  in  these  pursuits  his  uncommon  talent  for  business  became 
more  and  more  developed,  his  success  also  became  greater  and 
more  striking. 

During  all  this  time  his  appropriate  duties  as  a  minister 
and  pastor  were  never  neglected,  and  were  performed  to  the 
general  satisfaction  of  his  people.  To  his  preparation  for  these 
duties  were  devoted  the  earliest  and  best  hours  of  every  day ; 
and  with  them  nothing  was  suffered  to  interfere. 

On  the  16th  of  September,  1783,  Mr.  Kobinson  was  mar- 
ried to  his  second  wife,  Miss  Sophia  Mosely  of  Westfield,  Mass. 
The  ceremony  was  performed  by  his  friend  and  former  col- 
league in  Yale  College,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Atwater,  who  was  now 
settled  as  pastor  in  the  place.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Col. 
John  Mosely,  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  town  ;  and  was 
born  October  7,  1760.  A  younger  sister  afterwards  married 
the  poet  Honeywood."" 

The  memorials  of  the  second  Mrs.  Robinson  are  very  few  ; 
and  the  brief  record  of  her  life  is  soon  brought  to  a  close. 
She  gave  birth  to  her  only  child,  a  son,  August  31,  1784,  who 
received  the  name  of  William.  Not  long  after  his  birth,  the 
mother  fell  into  a  quick  consumption,  and  died  Dec.  31,  1784  ; 
less  than  sixteen  months  after  her  marriage.  The  following 
is  the  inscription  on  her  tombstone  : 

*  Por  some  account  of  the  Mosely  family,  see  Appendix  E. 


SECT.  III.]  SECOND  WIFE. 

In  Memory  of 
MRS.  SOPHIA  ROBINSON, 

TVife  of  the 

Rev.  William  Robinson. 

She  was  the  daughter  of 

Col.  John  Mosely, 

onVestfield. 
Born  Oct.  7.  17CO.     Died  Dec.  31,  1784, 

of  a  quick  consumption, 

in  the  25th  year  of  her  age. 

She  was  pleasant  in  her  life,  and  at  death 

she  found  the  comforts  of  Religion. 

Her  end  was  peaceful  and  resigned. 

Her  son  William  lived  to  graduate  at  Yale  College  in 
September,  1804  ;  but  died  of  consumption  in  November  of 
the  same  year. 

As  the  country  revived  after  the  peace,  and  the  prices  of 
grain  advanced,  some  of  the  parishioners  became  dissatisfied 
with  the  low  rates,  at  which  their  pastor  was  entitled  to  re- 
ceive their  produce.  In  December,  1786,  a  committee  of  the 
society  waited  on  him  to  confer  upon  this  subject.  A  letter  of 
his*  in  reply  is  extant,  dated  December  18,  1786  ;  in  which  he 
expresses  his  willingness  to  assent  to  any  just  arrangement, 
which  the  society  may  propose  ;  and  suggests,  that  for  that 
year  the  salary  (£100)  should  be  paid  in  money  ;  although  in 
that  way  he  would  suffer  loss.  Nothing,  further  seems  to  have 
been  done  in  the  matter  :  and  the  former  arrangement  was 
continued  until  1795. 

During  this  period  of  his  second  bereavement,  and  perhaps 
earlier,  Mr.  Robinson  occasionally  received  young  men  into  his 
family,  to  prepare  under  his  instruction  for  entering  Yale 
College.  He  did  not,  however,  make  a  regular  business  of 
teaching  ;  nor  were  his  pupils  numerous.  The  only  ones 
whose  names  are  still  remembered,  were  Asahel  Hooker  and 
Giles  H.  Cowles,  both  of  Farrnington,  who  were  college  class- 
mates, and  graduated  in  1789.* 

*  Afterwards  the  Rev.   Asahel  Hooker  of  Goshen  and  Norwich,  Conn,  and 
the   Rev.  Giles  H.  Cowles  D.  D.  of  Bristol,  Conn,  and  Austinburg,  Ohio.      See 


102  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

After  more  than  two  and  a  half  years  thus  passed  in  be- 
reavement, Mr.  Robinson  was  married,  by  his  friend  and  neigh- 
bour, the  Rev.  Mr.  Upson,  to  his  third  wife,  Miss  Anne  Mills 
of  Simsbury,  August  13,  1787.  She  was  born  June  11,  1761  ; 
and  was  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Gideon  Mills,  who  had  for- 
merly been  for  seventeen  years  pastor  of  the  church  in  Sims- 
bury,  and  was  afterwards  pastor  in  West  Simsbury.  He  is 
still  remembered  in  tradition  as  a  man  of  deep  piety  and  godly 
sincerity.  A  brother  of  hers,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Mills,  was  for 
many  years  pastor  of  the  church  in  Chester,  Conn.  With 
another  brother,  Deacon  Jedidiah  Mills,  an  intelligent  and 
respected  farmer  of  West  Hartford,  my  father  and  his  family 
continued  to  hold  frequent  intercourse  down  to  the  close  of  his 
life.  More  known  to  the  public  was  her  cousin,  the  Rev.  Samuel 
J.  Mills  of  Torringford  ;  whose  son,  Samuel  J.  Mills  Jr.  was 
one  of  the  first  to  awaken  in  this  country  an  interest  in  Foreign 
Missions.* 

Since  his  settlement  in  Southington  Mr.  Robinson  had 
been  growing  in  reputation  among  those  to  whom  he  became 
known,  both  as  a  preacher  and  a  theologian.  He  was,  as  we 
have  seen,  an  admirer  of  Bellamy,  though  not  strictly  his  dis- 
ciple ;  and  he  took  his  position  among  the  followers  of  the 
"  New  Divinity,"  as  it  was  then  called.  Indeed,  his  friend  Dr. 
Stiles  speaks  of  him  as  one  of  the  leaders  of  that  '  pestilent' 
school,  which  was  a  source  of  so  much  solicitude  to  the  good 
President.  In  his  Diary,  under  date  of  August  10,  1787, 
occurs  the  following  passage  ;  which  I  insert  here,  by  permis- 
sion, as  interesting  both  in  reference  to  the  history  of  that  day, 
and  in  its  relation  to  Mr.  Robinson  :f 

"President  Edwards  has  been  dead  twent3'-nine  years,  or 
a  generation.  Dr.  Bellamy  is  broken  down,  both  body  and 
mind,  with  a  paralytic  shock  ;  and  can  dictate  and  domineer 

Sprague's  Annals,  II.  p.  330.  This  residence  of  Mr.  Hooker  with  Mr.  Robinson, 
was  a  family  tradition  in  my  childhood. 

*  For  some  account  of  the  Mills  family,  see  Appendix  F. 

\  Diary,  1787,  pp.  59,  60. — This  extract,  and  also  the  one  next  following, 
were  copied  by  me  from  Dr.  Stiles'  manuscript,  for  this  work,  in  1855.  They 
have  since  been  published  by  Prof.  Fisher,  in  the  Appendix  to  his  Discourse  on  the 
History  of  the  Church  in  Yale  College,  1858,  p.  81. 


SECT.  III.]  DR.  STILES  ON  NEW  DIVINITY.  103 

no  more.  Mr.  Hopkins  still  continues,  but  past  his  force  ; 
having  been  somewhat  affected  by  a  fit  and  nervous  debility. 
Mr.  West  is  declining  in  health  ;  and,  besides,  was  never  felt 
[to  be]  so  strong  rods  as  the  others.  It  has  been  the  ton  to 
direct  students  in  Divinity,  these  thirty  years  past  or  a  gener- 
ation, to  read  the  Bible,  Pres.  Edwards,  Dr.  Bellamy,  and  Mr. 
Hopkins'  writings ;  and  this  was  a  pretty  good  sufficiency  of 
reading.  Now,  the  younger  class,  but  yet  in  full  vigour,  sup- 
pose they  see  further  than  these  oracles,  and  are  disposed  to 
become  oracles  themselves  ;  and  wish  to  write  Theology,  and 
have  their  books  come  into  vogue.  The  very  New  Divinity  men 
say,  they  perceive  a  disposition  among  several  of  their  brethren 
to  struggle  for  pre-eminence  ;  particularly  Dr.  Edwards,  Mr. 
Trumbull,  Mr.  Judson,  Mr.  Srnalley,  Mr.  Spring,  Mr.  Kobin- 
son,  Mr.  Strong  of  Hartford,  Mr.  Dwight,  Mr.  Emmons,  etc. 
They  all  want  to  be  Luthers.  But  they  will  none  of  them  be 
equal  to  those  strong  reasoners,  Pres.  Edwards  and  Mr.  Hop- 
kins. If  health  permit,  Dr.  Wales,  Mr.  Backus,  Mr.  Perkins, 
Mr.  Chauncey,  and  perhaps  others  not  yet  born,  may  bear 
away  the  palm." 

In  the  same  connection,  Dr.  Stiles  utters  the  following  judg- 
ment and  remarkable  prediction,  in  respect  to  the  writings  of 
the  elder  Edwards  :* 

"  Pres.  Edwards'  valuable  writings,  in  another  generation, 
will  pass  into  as  transient  notice,  perhaps  scarce  above  oblivion, 
as  Willard,  or  Twiss,  or  Norton.  And  when  posterity  occa- 
sionally come  across  them  in  the  rubbish  of  libraries,  the  rare 
characters  who  may  read  and  be  pleased  with  them,  will  be 
looked  upon  as  singular  and  whimsical ;  as  in  these  days  [is] 
an  admirer  of  Suarez,  Aquinas,  or  Dionysius  Areopagita." 

The  above  is  a  striking  instance  of  the  fallacy  of  human 
opinion.  In  spite  of  the  prophecy  of  the  good  President,  ut- 
tered more  than  seventy  years  ago,  the  influence  of  the  writings 
of  Edwards  was  probably  never  so  wide  or  so  great,  as  at  the 
present  moment. 

*  See  the  preceding  note. 


104  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

Apart  from  the  gradual  enlargement  of  his  homestead, 
already  referred  to,  the  first  purchase  of  land  made  by  Mr. 
Kobinson  in  another  part  of  the  town,  was  a  lot  on  Nashaway 
plain,  so  called,  about  a  mile  south  of  the  meeting-house,  and 
nearly  two  miles  from  his  own  dwelling,  on  the  road  leading 
to  Meriden.  It  was  a  triangle  in  form,  lying  in  the  fork  of 
two  roads,  containing  about  thirteen  acres.  The  date  of  the 
deed  was  April  5,  1788.  Two  years  later  he  purchased  a  lot 
of  fourteen  acres,  lying  west  of  the  above,  and  separated  from 
it  only  by  the  highway. 

The  birth  of  his  eldest  daughter,  Naomi  Sophia,  took  place 
May  30, 1788.  She  grew  up  ;  married  James  Woodruff ;  and 
died  November  21,  1849,  aged  61^  years. 

But  the  domestic  happiness  of  Mr.  Robinson  was  again 
destined  not  to  be  of  long  duration.  Early  in  July  of  the  next 
year,  his  wife  was  seized  with  the  measles.  After  giving  birth 
to  a  dead  infant,  (July  7th,)  she  sunk  under  the  disease,  and 
died  July  10,  1789,  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years,  and  less 
than  two  years  after  her  marriage.  She  used  to  be  spoken  of 
as  a  lady  of  fine  person,  of  much  intelligence,  and  of  firm  re- 
ligious character.  The  following  inscription  is  on  her  tomb- 
stone : 

In  Memory  of 

MRS.  ANNE  ROBINSON, 

Wife  of  the 

Rev.  William  Robinson. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  the 
Rev.  Gideon  Mills 

of  Simsbuiy. 

She  was  born  June  11,  1761 ;  and  died  of  the 

Measles,  in  her  29th  year,  July  10,  1789.— Why 

the  amiable  and  the  virtuous  of  our  race 

are  often  cut  down  in  the  midst  of  life,  is 

among  the  inscrutable  Mysteries  of  Heaven. — 

This  however  is  enough  for  us  to  know,  that 

all  the  ways  of  GOD  are  just  and  right;  though 

many  of  them  may  now  be  hidden  from  our  view 

by  impenetrable  clouds  and  darkness. 


SECT.  III.]  THIRD  WIFE.     AGRICULTURE.  105 

Whether  Mr.  Kobinson  still  continued  to  prepare  young 
men  for  college,  does  not  appear.  Mr.  Hooker,  mentioned 
above,  after  having  graduated  at  Yale  in  September,  1789, 
returned  to  pursue  the  study  of  theology  with  his  former  in- 
structor ;  who  is  spoken  of  as  his  "  friend  and  benefactor." 
Mr.  Hooker  was  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  church  in  Goshen 
in  September,  1791;  on  which  occasion  Mr.  Robinson  preached 
the  ordination  sermon.* 

Before  the  year  1790,  his  farming  operations  appear  to 
have  been  carried  on  chiefly  within  the  limits  of  his  own  home- 
stead. These,  and  his  lettings  of  stock  and  bees,  had  been 
successful ;  and  he  was  now  led  on  to  extend  his  property  in 
land  very  considerably.  In  the  course  of  the  year  1790,  be- 
tween February  and  November,  he  purchased  four  tracts  of 
land  ;  one  on  Nashaway  plain,  as  above  mentioned  ;  and  the 
rest  near  the  foot  of  the  East  mountain,  at  least  two  and  a 
half  miles  distant  from  his  own  house.  They  comprised  in 
all  eighty-two  acres,  at  a  cost  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds.  Of  his  circumstances  at  this  time  we  have  a  brief 
notice  by  Dr.  Stiles,  written  apparently  in  September,  1790.f 

"  The  Rev.  Mr.  Robinson  settled  at  Southington  in  1780, 
worth  nothing.  Now,  1790,  he  is  possessed  of  a  good  two- 
story  house,  and  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres.  This 
year  he  has  about  a  dozen  acres  of  Indian  corn,  and  perhaps 
as  many  of  English  grain.  He  has  forty  hives  of  bees.  He 
has  stock,  about  a  hundred  cows,  let  out  in  different  parts  of 
his  parish,  and  six  or  eight  pair  of  oxen  ;  besides  two  pair 
oxen  he  keeps  himself.  He  hires  two  men  and  sons  ;  and  will 
sow  this  fall  twenty-three  acres  of  wheat  ;  from  which  is 
expected  four  hundred  bushels  next  year." 

It  was  not  very  far  from  the  same  time  that  Pres.  Stiles, 
who  sometimes  complains  in  his  own  case  of  the  res  angusta 
domi,  enumerates  in  his  Itinerary  quite  a  number  of  those 

*  Sprague's  Annals,  II.  p.  317. 

•)•  This  notice  is  written  witli  a  pencil  on  a  loose  leaf,  preserved  in  Dr.  Stiles' 
Itinerary,  Vol.  V.  p.  222.  This  is  a  different  work  from  his  Dinry. 


106  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

whom  he  styles  "  wealthy  ministers'"'  in  Connecticut.    Among 
them  were  the  following  :* 

Mr.  Robinson,  Southington,  150  head  of  cattle. 

Mr.  Smalley,  New  Britain,    150     " 

Dr.  Bellamy,  Bethlem,          £1800. 

Mr.  Pitkin,  Farmington,       £3000. 

Mr.  Lockwood,  Andover,  £2500. 
In  the  course  of  the  same  year,  August  10,  1790,  Mr. 
Robinson  was  married  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Olcott,  to  his  fourth 
wife,  Miss  Elisabeth  Norton  of  Farmington.  IShe  was  born 
Jan.  13,  1761  ;  and  was  the  eldest  child  of  Col.  Ichabod  Nor- 
ton and  Ruth  Strong  his  wife.  She  was  a  niece  of  the  Rev. 
Cyprian  Strong  D.  D.  of  Chatham,  and  sister  of  the  Rev.  Asa- 
hel  Strong  Norton  D.  D.  of  Clinton,  Oneida  Co.  N.  Y.  and  of 
Seth  Norton,  first  Professor  of  Languages  in  Hamilton  College, 
of  which  he  was  perhaps  the  most  efficient  founder,  f  This 
union  continued  for  nearly  thirty-four  and  a  half  years  ;  she 
having  died  about  eight  months  before  her  husband.  They 
had  six  children  ;  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  and  the  rest 
still  survive.:}: 

For  the  next  ten  years  the  life  of  Mr.  Robinson  was  of  an 
even  tenor,  varied  by  few  incidents  out  of  the  usual  course. 
His  preparations  in  his  pastoral  office  regularly  occupied  his 
morning  hours  ;  while  the  remainder  of  the  day  was  given  to 
visiting  his  people  at  their  homes,  to  religious  services  ap- 
pointed on  a  week-day  in  different  parts  of  the  town,  and  to 
the  claims  of  business  connected  with  his  farm.  His  business 
prospered  evidently  beyond  his  expectation.  With  this  pros- 
perity came  also  the  desire  and  the  ability  for  further  enlarge- 
ment ;  and  he  continued  to  make  purchases  of  land,  larger  or 
smaller,  in  almost  every  year,  (1792  and  1798  alone  excepted,) 
until  the  close  of  the  century;  at  which  time  he  was  the  owner 
of  about  three  hundred  acres  in  all.  This  included  a  grist- 
mill in  the  southeast  part  of  the  town,  three  miles  distant  from 

*  See  Dr.  Stiles'  full  list  of  "  Wealthy  Ministers  in  Connecticut,"  in  Appendix  G. 
f  For  some  further  account  of  the  Norton  family,  see  Appendix  H.    For  notices 
of  the  Strong  and  Hooker  families,  see  Appendix  K. 

J  For  the  children  of  Mr.  Robinson  by  his  fourth  wife,  see  below  in  Sect.  VII. 


SECT.  III.]  FOURTH  WIFE.  107 

his  house,  which  he  bought  of  Samuel  Church  in  1795,  for 
three  hundred  and  forty  pounds.  A  few  years  later  a  saw- 
mill was  built  in  connection  with  it  by  other  parties  ;  whom 
he  afterwards  bought  out.  The  other  lots  purchased  lay,  one 
tract  of  fifty-three  acres  on  the  l  Lower  Plain/  so  called,  south 
of  Dr.  Joshua  Porter's  ;  and  the  rest  near  the  foot  of  the  East 
mountain,  and  extending  west  to  the  road  leading  by  the  for- 
mer dwellings  of  Robert  Foot  and  Jacob  Tyler. 

It  was  during  the  year  1794,  that  a  female  domestic, 
Clarissa  Hitchcock,  familiarly  known  as  Miss  Clara,  became  a 
member  of  his  household.  She  proved  to  be  a  most  valuable 
acquisition  ;  and  continued  a  member  of  the  family  until  it 
was  broken  up  by  the  death  of  Mr.  Robinson.  Afterwards, 
the  days  of  her  worn-out  strength  were  passed  in  the  family 
of  his  son,  until  her  death,  March  6.  1831 ;  after  a  service  of 
nearly  thirty-seven  years.  Her  integrity  and  fidelity  were 
never  questioned.  The  affairs  of  the  house,  and  also  the 
children,  were  cared  for  as  if  they  had  been  her  own  ;  and  no 
amount  of  fatigue  or  watchfulness  was  ever  spared  or  shunned. 
In  her  prime  she  was  an  excellent  housekeeper,  and  always  took 
the  main  charge  of  the  household.  It  is  a  pleasing  duty  to  offer 
here,  even  this  late  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  faithful  nurse 
of  our  childhood,  the  kind  and  careful  friend  of  later  years. 

She  became  a  member  of  the  church  in  1799.  Her  grave 
is  with  the  numerous  graves  of  the  family,  among  whom  her 
life  was  spent  ;  and  her  tombstone  bears  the  following  in- 
scription : 

In  Memory  of 

CLARISSA  HARI.OW  HITCHCOCK, 

Daughter  of 
Nathanael  Hitchcock, 
who  died  March  6,  1831, 

Aged  G8  years. 

She  resided  in  the  family  of  the 
Rev.  William  Robinson  from  1794 

until  her  decease. 

Faithful  and  true  teas  she  in  life, 

And  in  death  she  u-as  not  forsaken. 


108  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

In  1795,  the  complaints  which  had  already  existed  in 
1786,  in  respect  to  Mr.  Eobinson's  salary,  growing  out.  of  the 
advanced  prices  of  grain  during  the  fifteen  years  which  had 
now  elapsed  since  he  was  settled,  were  revived  and  brought 
before  the  society.  I  find,  however,  no  correspondence  on  the 
subject  among  his  papers.  But  a  new  contract  was  made, 
which  now  lies  before  me  in  the  handwriting  of  Roger  Whit- 
tlesey,  dated  February  2,  1795.  It  stipulates,  that  the  salary 
shall  thereafter  be  one  hundred  and  ten  pounds  [$366.66]  law- 
ful money,  in  Spanish  milled  dollars  or  their  equivalent  ;  and 
this  to  be  in  place  of  all  former  stipulations  as  to  grain,  and 
also  as  to  the  twenty-five  cords  of  firewood.  It  is  signed  on 
the  part  of  the  society  by  their  committee  :  Roger  Whittlesey, 
Job  Lewis,  Thomas  Stanley  Day,  %  John  Upson,  Timothy 
Clark,  and  John  Curtiss. — No  further  change  was  ever  made 
in  relation  to  the  salary. 

At  the  close  of  this  period,  (1800,)  Mr.  Robinson  was 
thus  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  to  an  extent  which  he 
himself,  doubtless,  had  never  purposed  or  anticipated.  The 
success  which  had  attended  his  efforts  ;  the  consciousness  of 
business  talents,  such  as  few  of  those  around  him  possessed, 
and  which  were  regarded  with  wonder  by  his  parishioners  ; 
and  the  pecuniary  aid  which  his  habits  of  enterprise  and  entire 
punctuality  enabled  him  to  command  ;  all  these  had  led  him 
on  beyond  any  expectations  of  his  own  or  of  others.  He  was 
not  drawn  off  from  his  ministerial  labours  ;  for  these  were  ever 
performed  with  conscientious  regularity  and  fulness.  But  he 
was  drawn  off  from  the  further  cultivation  of  his  intellectual 
powers,  in  the  walks  of  literature  and  science  ;  except  in  the 
most  general  way. 

Jn  this  diversion  of  his  powers,  he  may  also  have  been  in 
part  influenced  by  the  fact,  that  among  all  the  inhabitants  of 
his  parish  ;  all  those  indeed  with  whom  he  had  daily  inter- 
course ;  (with  the  exception  of  his  two  predecessors,  one  of 
whom  died  in  1784,  and  the  other  at  a  great  age  in  1795  ;) 
there  was  for  twelve  or  fifteen  years  not  a  single  person  who 


SECT.  IH.]  PROGRESS  OF  THE  CHURCH.  109 

had  received  a  college  education,  or  paid  any  attention  to  lite- 
rary or  scientific  pursuits.  Several  of  the  young  men  of  the 
town  had,  indeed,  meantime  graduated  at  Yale  College ;  some 
of  them,  perhaps,  induced  by  his  example  or  advice  ;  but  not 
one  of  them  remained  in  Southington.  Such  were  Samuel 
Woodruff  in  1782,  and  Jonathan  Barnes  in  1784  ;  who  settled 
down  as  lawyers,  the  first  in  Wallingford  and  the  other  in 
Middletown.  The  others  all  became  ministers  in  various 
places,  viz.  Gad  Newell,  graduated  in  1786;  "Whitfield 
Cowles  in  1788  ;  Josiah  B.  Andrews  in  1797  ;  Pitkin  Cowles 
in  1800  ;  and  Elisha  D.  Andrews,  who  entered  college  in 
1799,  and  graduated  in  1803. 

During  all  this  interval,  the  records  of  the  church  show  a 
constant  series  of  accessions  ;  but  no  extensive  revival  of  re- 
ligion. In  1780,  the  first  year  of  his  ministry,  thirty-eight 
persons  were  admitted  as  members  ;  in  1781,  nine  ;  in  1786, 
seventeen  ;  and  in  1799,  twenty-two.  Most  of  the  intervening 
years  show  additions  varying  from  two  to  seven  in  each  year. 
In  1783,  1784,  and  1791,  there  were  no  additions.  The 
whole  number  admitted  by  him,  down  to  the  end  of  1800,  was 
one  hundred  and  forty-two.  In  this  amount  of  growth,  the 
church  would  doubtless  compare  favourably  with  other  neigh- 
bouring churches  during  the  same  period  ;  and  certainly  there 
is  nothing  which  marks  or  implies  remissness  on  the  part  of  the 
pastor.  On  the  contrary,  the  earliest  years  of  his  labours 
were  among  the  least  fruitful.  In  some  of  the  latest  years  of 
his  ministry,  the  accessions  to  the  church  were  much  larger  ; 
as  we  shall  see  in  the  next  Section. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1782,  the  church  appears  to  have 
been  troubled  for  a  time  with  the  question  of  the  "  half-way 
covenant,"  so  called.  A  certain  William  Dickinson  had  been 
admitted,  in  the  language  of  the  times,  "  to  own  the  cove- 
nant," at  Stepney,  now  Kocky  Hill,  Conn,  and  had  been 
recommended,  some  years  before,  as  upon  that  standing,  to 
the  church  in  Southington.  It  does  not  appear  that  the 
church  had  ever  acted  upon  his  case.  The  matter  was  now 


MEMOIR.  [PAKT  II. 

brought  up  by  bis  requesting  baptism  for  bis  child.  It  was 
referred  to  the  church  ;  which  desired  to  have  a  copy  of  the 
profession  which  be  hud  made.  This  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lewis  of 
Stepney  declined  to  furnish.  The  church  then,  at  a  meeting- 
Dec.  4,  1782.  came  to  a  vote  upon  the  following  question  : 

"Whether  it  be  the  mind  of  this  Church,  that  the  practice  of  admitting 
persons  to  own  the  covenant,  as  it  is  called,  and  receive  baptism  for  their 
children,  at  the  same  time  absenting  themselves  from  the  Lord's  Supper, 
is  according  to  Gospel  institution  ?  " 

On  this  question  the  vote  was  unanimously  in  the  nega- 
tive. A  second  question  was  then  proposed,  as  follows  : 

"Whether  it  be  the  desire  of  this  Church,  that  the  practice  abovemen- 
tioned  should  be  introduced  here, with  respect  to  persons  who  are  not  now 
upon  that  standing ;  or  kept  up  with  respect  to  those  who  are  ?  " 

This  question  also  was  decided  by  vote  in  the  negative  ; 
though,  apparently,  not  with  equal  unanimity. 

Nearly  a  year  and  a  half  afterwards  another  meeting  of  the 
Church  was  held,  May  31,  1784,  at  the  desire  of  "  certain 
brethren  professing  themselves  to  be  aggrieved"  by  the  pre- 
ceding votes  ;  particularly  "  in  their  application  to  the  case  of 
William  Dickinson."  The  question  was  proposed  in  this  form  : 

"  Whether  it  be  the  mind  of  this  Church,  that  this  meeting  should  be 
adjourned,  and  that  a  committee  should  be  appointed  to  confer  with  Mr. 
Dickinson,  and  attend  to  u  copy  of  the  profession  made  by  him,  if  he  can 
now  procure  it  ?  " 

This  was  decided  by  vote  in  the  negative  ;  and  then  the 
final  vote  was  taken  : 

"  That  it  is  not  the  desire  of  this  Church,  that  Mr.  Dickinson  should 
have  his  child  baptised  upon  his  present  standing." 

The  matter  of  the  half-way  covenant  was  never  again 
moved  in  the  church. 

During  this  period  there  is  testimony  of  no  little  value  in 
respect  to  the  talents  and  standing  of  Mr.  Robinson  ;  coming, 
as  it  does,  from  competent  and  impartial  judges. 

In  1793  and  the  following  year,  Ebenezer  Porter,  after- 
wards the  Rev.  Dr.  Porter,  Professor  at  Andover,  was  pursuing 


SECT.  III.]  DR.  PORTER.     DR.  SPRING. 

the  study  of  theology  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Smalley  of  New 
Britain  ;  and  during  the  intervening  winter  taught,  for  a  few 
months,  the  central  district-school  in  Southington.  Twenty 
years  later,  while  pastor  at  Washington,  he  is  reported  to 
have  said  :  "  I  also  have  some  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Robin- 
son, having  sat  for  a  time  under  his  ministry ;  and  I  regard 
him  as  possessing  native  powers  of  mind  superior  to  those  of 
any  other  minister  in  Connecticut."  He  added  something- 
further  like  this :  "  Had  the  energies  of  his  powerful  mind 
been  exclusively  devoted  to  the  ministry,  he  would  have  taken 
a  higher  stand  than  any  other."* 

To  the  same  effect  is  the  following  note  from  the  Rev. 
Gardiner  Spring  D.  D.  of  New  York,  under  date  of  April  17, 
1857  ;  a  reminiscence  of  almost  sixty  years  : 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, 

"  My  recollections  of  your  revered  father  are  of  so  remote 
a  date,  that  I  fear  they  are  almost  worthless  to  your  filial  and 
praiseworthy  design.  Late  in  the  autumn  of  1800,  I  spent  a 
few  pleasant  days  in  his  family  at  Southington,  at  the  request 
of  your  much  loved  and  much  lamented  brother  William,  then 
my  class-mate  at  Yale.f  Your  father's  kindness,  and  Chris- 
tian, gentlemanly  bearing,  made  a  deep  impression  on  my 
youthful  mind.  He  stood  high  in  the  esteem  of  my  own 
father,  who  knew  him  well.  As  an  acute  theologian,  an  able 
preacher,  and  faithful  pastor,  he  had  few  superiors  in  Connec- 
ticut ;  while  the  small  stipend  on  which  he  was  condemned  to 
subsist,  drove  him  to  apply  his  active  and  business-like  mind 
to  pursuits  of  a  secular  character,  for  the  support  and  educa- 
tion of  his  family.  Had  he  been  able  to  '  live  by  the  Gos- 
pel/ he  would  have  stood  on  the  same  platform  with  Smalley, 
Dwight,  Hart,  and  Strong. 

"  Yours  affectionately,  GARDINER  SPRING." 

*  See  the  circumstances  more  fully  narrated  in  the  letters  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Harrison,  in  Sect.  VI. 

f  This  was  at  the  annual  Thanksgiving  in  1800.  Mr.  Spring  was  afterwards 
out  of  college  for  one  year;  and  graduated  in  1805. 


MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

Such  is  the  brief  history  of  Mr.  Robinson's  life  and 
labours  during  the  first  twenty-one  years  of  his  ministry,  ex- 
tending down  to  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  His 
path  had  been  often  darkened  by  heavy  domestic  afflictions, 
which  left  their  traces  upon  his  character  and  feelings.  The 
fathers  of  the  parish,  who  best  knew  him,  have  passed  away 
with  him,  leaving  few  memorials  ;  and  the  recollections  of  his 
children  and  others  now  living,  do  not  go  back  to  the  scenes 
of  this  period.  At  its  close  he  was  already  past  the  middle 
age  ;  and  his  habits  and  manner  of  life  had  become  fixed. 


SECT.  IV.]  LATER  PKOFESSIONAL  LIFE.  113 


SECTION    IV. 

LATTER    HALF    OF    HIS    MINISTRY. 

1800-1821. 

DURING  the  first  half  of  Mr.  Robinson's  ministry,  as  we 
have  seen,  the  church  under  his  pastoral  care  enjoyed  at  least 
an  ordinary  measure  of  prosperity  in  spiritual  things  ;  and  the 
same  was  true  during  the  present  period,  or  latter  half ;  but 
with  brighter  results  near  the  close.  In  secular  matters,  also, 
his  course  of  life  during  the  last  ten  years  of  the  preceding 
century  had  been  marked  by  successful  activity  and  accumula- 
tion ;  while,  in  like  manner,  the  first  ten  years  of  the  present 
century  were  no  less  full  of  active  labours  ;  though  these  lay 
in  a  different  direction.  No  more  lands  were  acquired  in  per- 
manency ;  but  the  attention  of  Mr.  Robinson  was  turned  more 
directly  to  the  cultivation  of  the  farm  he  already  possessed  ; 
both  as  a  means  of  support  and  profit,  and  more  especially  as 
an  example  to  his  people  of  the  benefits  of  agricultural  indus- 
try and  skill. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  present  century,  to  which  the 
memories  of  his  children  and  surviving  friends  dimly  reach 
back,  his  farming  operations  had  become  more  systematized, 
and  were  more  under  his  own  control.  He  no  longer  let  out 
bees  ;  though  he  usually  himself  kept  quite  a  number  of  hives. 
Nor  did  he  let  out  cows  singly,  as  formerly  ;  but,  in  the  spring, 
farmers  from  Goshen  and  other  towns  in  Litchfield  county  were 
accustomed  to  come  and  hire  cows  for  the  season,  and  return 
them  in  autumn  with  a  certain  weight  of  cheese  as  the  hire  of 
each  cow.  In  this  way,  for  a  number  of  seasons,  Mr.  Robinson 
8 


MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

obtained  a  supply  of  cheese  for  his  family  ;  though  sometimes 
the  dairy  was  managed  at  home.  Butter  sufficient  for  the 
family,  and  sometimes  more,  was  always  made  within  doors. 

At  the  same  time,  and  in  like  manner,  all  the  linen  and 
woollen  cloth  needed  in  the  family,  for  clothing  and  other  pur- 
poses, was  spun,  woven,  and  made  up,  at  home.  The  spin- 
ning was  mostly  done  by  my  mother  and  Miss  Clara,  already 
mentioned  ;  and  was  carried  on  chiefly  in  the  kitchen,  which 
was  also  the  common  sitting  room  of  the  family.  The  busy 
hum  of  the  spinning-wheels,  both  large  and  small,  and  the 
click  of  the  loom  in  the  wash-house,  are  among  the  indelible 
remembrances  of  my  childhood.  The  first  article  of  foreign 
broadcloth,  that  I  remember  in  the  family,  was  the  coat  of 
my  brother  William  during  his  last  year  in  college. 

Mr.  Robinson  still  continued  to  let  fields  to  small  farmers 
or  mechanics,  to  till  on  shares.  But  the  chief  amount  of  ag- 
ricultural labour  was  carried  on  under  his  own  supervision. 
He  usually  hired  one  or  two  men  by  the  year,  and  others  for 
the  summer  season.  Some  of  these  remained  with  him  for 
several  years.  They  all  formed  a  part  of  his  own  family  ;  and 
were  always  regarded  and  treated  as  such.  His  sons,  till  thir- 
teen or  fourteen  years  of  age,  were  brought  up  to  labour  with 
them  in  the  field.  Much  of  his  land  lay  at  a  distance  from 
his  house,  from  one  mile  to  three  miles  ;  and  of  course  much 
time  was  occupied  by  men  and  teams  in  passing  to  and  fro. 
But  wherever  the  labourers  were  employed,  there  was  scarcely  a 
day  in  which  they  did  not  receive  a  visit  from  Mr.  Robinson,  to 
inspect  the  progress  of  their  work.  In  the  seasons  of  haying 
and  harvest,  he  often  laboured  with  them  ;  sometimes  for  the 
whole  day.  At  other  times,  and  especially  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, before  breakfast,  he  took  great  pleasure  in  the  care  of  his 
garden.  These  habits  of  supervision  continued  until  the 
autumn  of  1821  ;  when  his  youngest  son  returned  home  from 
college,  and  took  the  principal  charge  of  the  farm. 

The  agricultural  pursuits  of  Mr.  Robinson  were  successful 
and  prosperous.  He  followed  no  visionary  or  impracticable 


SECT.  IV.]  AGRICULTURAL  SUCCESS.  H5 

theories  ;  but  if  any  real  improvement  was  suggested,  he 
adopted  it  at  once.  He  was  no  great  believer  in  labour-saving 
machines  ;  yet  he  once  purchased  a  washing-machine,  which 
for  a  time  promised  well  ;  but  it  proved  a  failure,  and  was 
soon  laid  aside.  His  farming  utensils  were  all  of  the  best 
kind  then  known  ;  some  of  them  equal  to  any  since  introduced  ; 
while  others,of  course,  were  still  far  from  the  perfection,  which 
the  subsequent  lapse  of  half  a  century  has  now  brought  into 
vogue. 

At  that  time  there  were  no  agricultural  societies  in  the 
country,  and  few  agricultural  books.  Whatever  advances  or 
improvements,  therefore,  Mr.  Robinson  may  have  made  beyond 
the  farming  of  his  neighbours,  were  mainly  the  result  of  his 
own  observation  and  experience.  He  was  the  first  in  the  town 
to  practise  a  rotation  of  crops  ;  and  it  was  he,  especially,  who 
introduced  the  cultivation  of  clover  ;  gathering  the  seed,  at 
first,  by  a  machine  drawn  by  a  horse.  By  these  means  he 
made  the  partially  worn-out  plains  of  Southington  for  the  time 
highly  productive.  In  1803,  on  a  field  of  twenty  acres  on  the 
lower  plain,  he  turned  in  a  stout  crop  of  clover,  much  to  the 
surprise  of  some  of  his  neighbours  ;  and  sowed  the  field  with 
rye.  The  next  harvest  returned  to  him  such  a  crop  of  rye,  as 
had  never  before  been  seen  in  the  town.  He  occasionally  tried 
to  raise  wheat,  and  sometimes  had  partial  success  ;  but  it  did 
not  thrive  well  upon  that  soil.  Hence  he  was  led  to  the 
pithy  remark,  which  is  still  remembered  and  repeated,  that 
"  whoever  in  Southington  wishes  to  eat  wheat,  must  raise  rye." 

At  the  same  time,  too,  he  cultivated  Indian  corn  exten- 
sively. Hence  he  was  induced  to  try  the  efficacy  of  plaster  of 
Paris  ;  which  upon  that  soil  had  a  wonderful  effect,  both  in 
respect  to  Indian  corn  and  clover.  He  was  thus  led  to  urge 
the  use  of  it  upon  his  neighbours ;  though  not  without  en- 
countering much  prejudice.  The  following  anecdote  illustrates 
this  remark  ;  as  it  also  shows  the  peculiar  estimation  in  which 
he  was  held  by  his  parishioners.  He  had  let  a  field  on  the 
southern  plain  to  a  farmer,  to  plant  Indian  corn  on  shares ; 


116  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

and  he  proposed  to  furnish  plaster  of  Paris  for  the  whole  field, 
if  the  farmer  would  apply  it.  The  latter  declined.  As  Mr. 
Eobinson  was  to  have  one  half  of  the  crop,  he  then  proposed, 
that  they  should  divide  the  field  ;  each  taking  two  rows  of 
corn  alternately.  This  was  agreed  to.  He  applied  the  plaster 
to  his  own  portion;  and  the  appearance  in  favour  of  his  rows 
soon  became  so  striking,  as  to  attract  much  attention.  One 
day  Mr.  A.  a  noted  horse  dealer  and  village  wit,  was  riding  by 
the  field  with  some  strangers.  The  latter  were  filled .  with 
wonder,  and  were  curious  to  find  out  the  reason  of  the  differ- 
ence. "Oh,"  said  Mr.  A.  "I  can  tell  you;  the  large  rows 
belong  to  our  minister,  and  the  small  ones  to  his  people." 

About  the  year  1795,  the  manufacture  of  tin-ware  had 
been  introduced  into  Southington  ;  and,  being  found  profit- 
able, had  in  a  few  years  spread  extensively.  A  consequence 
was,  that  the  business  of  a  tin-pedlar  had  also  come  into  vo^ue ; 
and  the  young  men  of  the  town,  who  in  summer  were  indus- 
trious farmers,  wandered  off  in  winter  through  the  middle  and 
southern  States,  to  dispose  of  their  loads  of  tin-ware,  and  later 
also  of  dry  goods.  They  returned  sometimes  as  successful 
traders  ;  but  often  also  with  their  habits  of  industry  broken  up, 
and  their  morals  corrupted. 

In  the  general  encouragement  of  manufacturing  interests, 
which  marked  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  several 
smaller  and  local  manufactures  were  also  established  in  South- 
ington ;  such  as  wooden  clocks  to  some  extent,  buttons,  horn 
combs,  wooden  combs,  spoons,  brushes,  bellows,  awl-hafts,  and- 
irons, etc.  Later  also,  and  on  a  more  extensive  scale,  were  es- 
tablishments for  making  iron  bolts,  lasts  turned  from  a  model, 
and  the  machines  for  manufacturing  tin-ware  now  in  general  use. 
All  these  brought  into  the  town,  as  workmen,  a  new  class  of  in- 
habitants, trained  elsewhere,  not  always  very  enlightened,  and 
sometimes  of  loose  habits  and  morals.  Such  persons,  of  course, 
did  not  usually  attend  the  worship  of  the  sanctuary  ;  and  could 
not  be  reached  by  a  pastor's  ordinary  labours.  The  effect  of 
all  these  circumstances  upon  the  modes  of  thinking,  the  habits, 


SECT.  IV.]  BENEFACTOR  OF  THE  TOWN.  117 

and  the  morals,  of  a  population  hitherto  wholly  agricultural, 
and  especially  upon  the  young,  were  seen  and  deplored  by  all. 

Mr.  Kobinson  was  not  the  man  to  neglect  any  thing, 
whether  in  precept  or  example,  which  could  serve  to  stem  this 
unhealthy  aspect  of  things,  and  preserve  among  his  people  (so 
far  as  possible)  their  agricultural  habits  and  pursuits.  That 
the  course  which  he  followed,  during  those  years,  was  adopted 
by  him  of  set  purpose  to  counteract  those  growing  tendencies, 
it  would  perhaps  be  too  much  to  affirm.  But  there  can  be 
no  question,  that  it  was  the  course  best  adapted  to  turn  off 
the  attention  of  his  people  from  novel  schemes,  and  conlii'm 
them  in  their  inbred  attachment  to  agriculture. 

In  connection  with  his  mill,  already  mentioned,  he  pur- 
chased large  quantities  of  rye  ;  the  flour  from  which  was  of  a 
quality  so  superior,  that  the  brand  of  his  miller,  L.  Andrus, 
became  celebrated.  More  largely,  however,  did  he  engage  in 
preparing  Indian  meal  for  the  West  India  market.  In  this 
way  he  benefited  his  people,  arid  acquired,  perhaps,  the  greater 
portion  of  his  own  estate.  A  market  was  thus  opened  to  his 
parishioners  for  all  their  grain,  at  their  very  doors  ;  and  they 
were  in  this  way  stimulated  to  enter  with  energy  upon  the 
culture  of  Indian  corn.  Indeed,  he  used,  in  the  spring,  to 
engage  the  leading  farmers  to  raise  for  him  each  a  certain 
quantity,  to  be  delivered  in  the  autumn  ;  he  often  advancing, 
if  necessary,  part  of  the  price.  In  this  manner  he  encouraged 
the  industry  and  efforts  of  his  parishioners  ;  and,  of  course, 
they  too  became  more  prosperous.  Indeed,  the  influence  of 
his  own  successful  agriculture,  and  of  the  encouragement  he 
afforded  to  others,  was  apparent  throughout  all  that  region. 
It  was  the  saying  of  Roger  Whittlesey,  the  leading  lawyer  in 
the  place,  than  whom  there  could  be  no  more  competent  judge, 
that  "  it  was  Mr.  Robinson,  who  taught  Southington  people 
how  to  live." 

In  all  his  own  success,  he  was  ever  ready  to  help  others. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Brace  writes  :  "  If  a  poor  neighbour's  cow  were 
about  being  seized  for  debt,  Mr.  Robinson  would  say  :  '  Here, 


118  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

I  will  buy  your  cow,  and  let  you  keep  her  for  rent,  ($4  a  year,) 
and  let  you  redeem  her,  whenever  you  can  do  it/  He  would 
possess  forty  or  fifty  cows  in  this  way,  relieving  the  men,  en- 
couraging their  industry  and  frugality,  and  laying  a  foundation 
for  them  to  become  men  of  property.  If  a  man  were  in  debt 
for  his  house  and  land,  and  liable  to  a  forced  sale,  Mr.  Robin- 
son said  to  him  :  '  I  will  lend  you  money  to  pay  your  debt  ; 
take  a  mortgage  of  your  farm  ;  and  let  you  redeem  it  just  as 
soon  as  you  can/  Thus  he  saved  many  ;  while  he  might  be 
obliged  to  hold  the  property  of  the  inactive  and  improvident, 
who  had  not  energy  and  calculation  enough  to  work  their 
way  out.  He  put  them  into  a  condition  to  help  themselves,  if 
they  had  the  resolution  to  do  it/' 

In  view  of  this  habit  of  affording  aid  to  others,  it  is  not  sur- 
prising, that  Mr.  Robinson  should  have  had  many  applications 
of  the  kind  from  various  quarters  ;  not  unfrequently  from 
farmers  and  mechanics,  who,  not  content  with  their  legitimate 
business,  aspired  to  something  higher  and  more  profitable. 
Sometimes  they  succeeded  in  persuading  him  to  aid  them  ;  but 
their  speculations,  perhaps  in  most  cases,  turned  out  unsuc- 
cessfully ;  and  in  this  way  Mr.  Robinson  suffered  losses  to  a 
very  considerable  amount,  especially  in  the  later  years  of 
his  life. 

During  all  this  period,  his  attention  to  the  duties  of  his 
ministry  was  unremitted.  Besides  the  regular  exercises  of  the 
Christian  Sabbath,  he  often  made  appointments  for  preaching 
on  week  days  in  the  different  parts  of  the  town,  in  school- 
houses  or  private  dwellings.  He  was  frequent  and  faithful  in 
visiting  his  parishioners  at  their  homes.  His  own  regularity 
and  punctuality  led  him  to  inculcate  the  same  habit  upon  his 
people,  and  to  expect  it  from  them,  especially  in  their  attend- 
ance on  public  worship.  It  used  to  be  related  of  him  in  pleas- 
antry, that  if  any  one  were  absent  from  his  seat  on  Sunday, 
Mr.  Robinson  was  sure  to  see  him  during  the  week,  and  usually 
met  him  with  pressing  inquiries  after  his  health.  At  any 
rate,  although  many  of  his  people  resided  at  the  distance  of 


SECT.  IV.]  DISSATISFACTION.  H9 

three  or  four  miles  from  the  meeting-house,  they  were  all 
trained  to  a  regular  and  punctual  attendance  on  the  Sabbath, 
such  as  is  now  found  in  few  parishes.  Indeed,  here  as  else- 
where, the  remark  was  true,  that  those  who  lived  most  remote, 
were  the  most  regular  and  punctual  in  their  attendance. 

There  were,  nevertheless,  some  in  the  parish,  not  however 
among  the  regular  attendants  on  his  preaching,  who  thought 
their  minister  gave  his  attention  too  much  to  secular  business, 
and  neglected  his  pastoral  duties,  especially  the  visiting  of  the 
sick  and  afflicted.  In  December,  1801,  the  matter  was 
brought  up  in  a  meeting  of  the  society  ;  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  confer  with  Mr.  Robinson.  The  committee  con- 
sisted of  Timothy  Clark,  Esq.  the  Deacons  Newell,  Dutton, 
and  Barnes,  Timothy  Lee,  Heman  Atwater,  Roswell  Moore, 
Stephen  Pratt,  and  Maj,  Hart.  The  society  would  appear 
not  to  have  laid  any  great  stress  upon  the  complaint  ;  as  the 
committee  was  mainly  composed  of  early  and  staunch  friends 
of  the  pastor.  The  charge,  in  general,  was,  neglect  of  that  part 
of  the  ministry,  which  consists  in  "  visiting  the  people  in  their 
distresses,  in  sickness,  etc."  This  charge  Mr.  Robinson  denied 
in  toto.  At  the  same  time  he  declared  himself  ready  to  give 
up  all  his  secular  business,  if  the  society  would  pay  him  a  sal- 
ary sufficient  for  the  support  of  his  family  and  the  education 
of  his  children.  And  further,  since  both  he  and  his  friends 
regarded  the  movement  as  arising,  not  from  the  motives  alleged, 
but  out  of  opposition  to  the  doctrines  which  he  preached,  he 
expressed  a  willingness  to  be  dismissed  from  his  people,  if 
such  were  the  wish  of  the  society.  The  society,  however, 
were  not  ready  for  either  alternative  ;  nothing  was  done  ;  and 
the  matter  died  away.  Similar  complaints,  perhaps,  were 
afterwards  heard  among  the  same  class  of  persons  ;  but  no 
further  public  notice  was  ever  taken  of  them. 

In  the  summer  of  1802,  Mr.  Robinson,  with  his  wife,  made 
a  journey  to  the  "  Whitestown  country,"  as  it  was  then  called, 
the  "  far  West"  of  those  days,  on  a  visit  to  her  brother,  the 
Rev.  A.  S.  Norton  of  Clinton,  Oneida  Co.  N.  Y.  A  church 


120  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

had  been  organised  there  in  1792  by  the  Kev.  Dr.  Edwards  of 
New  Haven  ;  and  on  his  recommendation,  Mr.  Norton  was  em- 
ployed to  preach  as  a  candidate.  He  was  ordained  as  pastor 
of  the  church,  March  25,  1793.*  The  country  was  still  new, 
and  in  great  part  forest ;  and  the  roads  were  very  rough.  Mr. 
Robinson  travelled  in  his  own  top-wagon  with  two  horses. 
They  were  a  week  upon  the  road  in  going  ;  and  as  long  in  re- 
turning, after  a  visit  of  a  fortnight  in  that  region.  The  iron 
horse  now  makes  an  easy  route  of  seven  or  eight  hours  between 
the  same  points.  This  journey  was  often  alluded  to  after- 
wards by  Mr.  Robinson  ;  and  was  always  spoken  of  as  the  great 
journey  of  his  life.  A  few  years  later  he  and  his  wife  travelled 
up  the  valley  of  Connecticut  river  in  their  chaise,  to  visit  several 
friends,  and  particularly  the  Rev.  Dr.  Lyman  of  Hatfield. 
This  was  his  last  visit  to  that  friend  of  his  youth  ;  though  they 
may  have  met  afterwards  on  public  occasions. 

In  1804,  Mr.  Robinson  was  again  called  to  sustain  a 
heavy  domestic  affliction,  in  the  untimely  death  of  his  eldest 
son  William,  the  only  child  of  his  second  wife.  Having  fitted 
for  college  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Chapin  of  Rocky  Hill,  he  en- 
tered the  Freshman  class  of  Yale  College  in  the  autumn  of 
1800.  There,  although  suffering  much  from  frequent  affec- 
tions of  the  lungs  and  general  ill  health,  he  took  a  high  stand- 
ing in  his  class  ;  and  it  is  the  testimony  of  his  still  surviving 
classmates,  that  few,  if  any,  among  them  were  his  superiors. 
Early  in  1804  his  health  gave  way  ;  symptoms  of  consumption 
supervened  ;  and  in  April  he  left  college  never  to  return.  In 
the  distribution  of  the  appointments  for  commencement,  which 
took  place  later,  there  was  assigned  to  him,  notwithstanding 
his  absence,  an  oration,  then  as  now  one  of  the  higher  honours. 
During  the  summer,  hope  and  despondency  alternated,  accord- 
ing as  the  disease  seemed  to  relax  its  hold  or  strengthen  its 
grasp  ;  but  the  progress  of  decline  was  in  general  rapid. 
Once  his  friend  Chester  Whittlesey  accompanied  him  on  a 
journey  to  the  mountainous  southern  part  of  Massachusetts,  to 

*  Sprague's  Annals,  II.  p.  332  sq. 


SECT.  IV.]  HIS  ELDEST  SON.  121 

a  celebrated  root  doctor ;  and  they  returned,  bringing  with 
them  sundry  jugs  of  tinctures  prepared  from  roots  and  herbs, 
and  the  body  of  a  rattlesnake,  skinned  and  dressed,  which  was 
to  be  administered  in  some  way.  But  all  was  in  vain.  His 
Alma  Mater  included  his  name  among  the  graduating  class, 
and  sent  him  his  diploma.  But  he  died  two  months  later, 
November  14,  1804,  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  His  funeral 
was  attended  by  a  great  concourse  of  people.  A  sermon  was 
delivered  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Foot  of  Cheshire.  The  epitaph, 
drawn  up  soon  afterwards  by  his  father,  expresses  the  deep 
feeling  of  the  latter  : 

The  Body  of 

WILLIAM  ROBINSOX  Jr.  A.  B. 
Lies  beneath  this 

STOXE. 

He  died  Nov.  14th,  1804. 
Cut  off  at  the  age  of  20  years, 
he  affords  a  striking 

MONUMENT 

of  disappointed  Hopes  and  Expectations. 
Bright  were  his  Prospects, 

High  were  his  Hopes, 

Pleasing  were  the  Expectations  of  his  Friend^, 
But  GOD  has  laid  them  in  the  dust. 

Beware,  0  YOUTH, 
Improve  the  present  moment, 
Prepare*  to  meet  thy  GOD  ! 

Four  years  later,  in  the  spring  and  summer  of  1808, 
Southington  and  some  of  the  adjacent  towns,  especially  Farm- 
ington,  were  visited  by  a  pestilence,  known  as  the  spotted 
fever.  In  Farmington  many  died.  In  Southington,  though 
many  were  sick,  there  were  in  Mr.  Robinson's  congregation 
only  eight  deaths  from  the  disease  ;  but  among  these  was  the 
lamented  and  estimable  physician  of  the  town,  Dr.  Theodore 
Wadsworth.  He  died  June  2,  1808,  aged  fifty-five  years. 
The  terrors  of  the  pestilence  itself  were  aggravated  in  the 
minds  of  the  people,  by  a  strong  difference  of  opinion  among 


122  MEMOIR.  [PAKT  II. 

the  physicians  as  to  the  proper  mode  of  treatment,  viz. 
whether  stimulants  were  to  be  administered,  or  medicines  of 
an  opposite  character. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  year  1805,  Mr.  Eobinson  sought 
relief  in  part  from  the  cares  and  anxieties  of  business,  by  dis- 
posing of  one  half  of  his  mill.  This  he  sold  to  Noah  Gridley 
Jr.  who  thenceforth  took  the  main  charge  of  the  establish- 
ment. The  deed  is  dated  December  5,  1805;  but  was  not 
recorded  until  April  28,  ]  808.  The  other  half  was  retained 
by  Mr.  Robinson,  comparatively  as  a  silent  partner,  until  his 
death. 

I  venture  to  insert  here  a  few  brief  reminiscences  of  the 
old  (second)  meeting-house,  and  of  some  of  the  aged  people 
who  gathered  there  upon  the  Sabbath  during  my  childhood. 
The  time  to  which  these  reminiscences  relate,  may  be  stated, 
in  general,  as  from  about  1801  to  1812  ;  in  June  of  which 
latter  year  I  ceased  to  be  a  resident  of  Southington.  The 
sketch  was  drawn  up,  for  a  wholly  different  purpose,  several 
years  ago.  If  there  is  a  seeming  want  of  reverence  in  the 
manner  of  speaking  of  some  of  the  aged  men,  I  may  remark, 
that  it  is  precisely  the  way  in  which  they  were  usually  spoken 
of,  at  the  time,  by  the  middle-aged  and  the  young. 

"  Do  you  remember  the  old  meeting-house  in  our  native 
place  ?  It  stood  out  alone  in  the  middle  of  the  open  square  ; 
which  had  been  given  for  the  purpose  by  some  of  the  neigh- 
bouring land-owners.*  A  still  earlier  meeting-house  stood  in 
the  wide  highway,  upon  the  hill,  where  the  graves  of  the 
fathers  still  cluster  around  its  site,  and  the  graves  of  our  own 
family  extend  in  a  long  row.  Further  north  there  is  yet  seen 
a  tract  of  that  broad  public  way,  known  to  our  childhood  as 
Queen  street.  That  first  house  must  have  been  built,  or  at 
least  its  site  selected,  about  1726  ;  which,  as  you  may  remem- 

*  It  has  sometimes  been  supposed,  that  this  open  square  was  a  portion  of  the 
broad  highway  laid  out  through  the  town,  including  Queen  street,  and  running 
over  the  bury  ing-ground  hill.  But  that  highway  lay  at  some  distance  eastward 
from  the  second  meeting-house. 


SECT.  IV.]  REMINISCENCES.  123 

ber,  is  the  date  upon  the  earliest  adjacent  grave-stone.  The 
first  minister  was  settled  in  1728. 

"  The  meeting-house  in  the  village  was  erected  in  1757;  and 
forty  years  later,  in  1797,  the  tall  steeple  was  added  ;  tall  in- 
deed, hut  mostly  hidden  from  distant  view  by  the  surrounding 
hills.  One  of  my  very  earliest  recollections  goes  back  confu- 
sedly to  the  raising  of  that  spire.  More  distinct  is  my  remem- 
brance of  the  assembly  in  that  house  early  in  1800,  in  com- 
memoration of  the  death  of  Washington ;  when  a  stage  was 
erected  in  front  of  the  pulpit,  and  an  oration  delivered  by  Pit- 
kin  Cowles,  then  a  Senior  in  Yale  College.  Many  later  school- 
boy recollections  throng  about  that  house  ; — its  interior  with 
its  stiff  square  pews,  in  which  a  portion  of  the  audience  sat 
with  their  backs  towards  the  minister ;  its  galleries  ;  the 
steeple  ;  the  belfry  and  fine-toned  bell ;  the  lightning-rod  ;  and 
even  the  space  beneath  the  floor,  to  which  we  sometimes  got 
access  ;  all  were  the  scenes  and  aids  of  childish  glee  and  busy 
heedlessness. 

"  So  too  the  long  row  of  Sabba'day  houses  on  the  east  side 
of  the  square  ;  which  you  perhaps  hardly  remember.  They 
were  already  mostly  in  ruins  in  my  early  boyhood  ;  yet  a  few 
remained  in  a  better  state,  either  with  a  stable  below  and  a 
neat  room  with  a  fire-place  above  ;  or  with  the  room  and  stable 
side  by  side.  Here  the  good  people,  who  came  three,  four,  and 
five  miles  to  meeting,  sheltered  their  horses  ;  and  had  a  com- 
fortable place  for  themselves  during  the  brief  intermission. 
Their  attendance  on  the  public  worship  of  God  was  something 
to  occupy  the  day,  a  day's  work  ;  and  not  the  convenient  mat- 
ter of  a  few  hours.  Hence  they  were  ever  regular  and  punc- 
tual. 

"  All  is  now  gone ;  all  is  now  changed  !  The  former  house 
of  God  has  disappeared ;  and  the  lofty  and  ornamented  sound- 
ing-board of  its  pulpit  was  degraded  to  become  the  roof  of  a 
dove-cote  !  And  with  the  house,  the  old  men  of  those  days, 
who  thronged  its  seats,  have  likewise  departed.  The  fathers, 
where  are  they  ? 


124  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

"  The  minister's  pew  you  recollect,  where  we  sat,  at  the 
foot  of  the  pulpit  stairs.  lu  the  deacons'  seat,  Lelow  the  pul- 
pit, I  can  just  remember  the  heavy  form  of  'Squire  Curtiss  ;* 
the  pleasant  countenance  of  good  'Squire  Clark  ;f  and  the  then 
younger  face  of  Deacon  Newell.:}:  In  1801  D^ac.  Dutton  and 
Deac.  Barnes  were  added  ;  but  the  latter  removed  from  the 
town  in  1805,  and  his  place  was  not  filled  for  many  years. 

"  In  the  pews  in  front  of  the  pulpit  and  nearest  to  it,  sat 
the  old  people  of  the  congregation  ;  the  pews  being  regularly 
seated,  that  is,  assigned  to  occupants  in  the  order  of  age. 
Here  sat  Lieut.  Smith,  long  the  oldest  person  in  the  town, 
who  lived  to  the  age  of  ninety-five  years ;  a  man  of  rough 
manners,  but  of  kindly  feelings.§  He  came  always  to  meeting 
on  his  old  white  pony,  and  returned  galloping  eagerly  past  the 
long  line  of  chaises  and  wagons.  There  too  sat  Mr.  Samuel 
Woodruff  the  elder,  Capt.  Daniel  Langdon,  Capt.  Sloper, 
Uncle  Job  Lewis,  and  his  brothers  Uncle  Nathan  and  Uncle 
Tim  Lewis,  Asa  Barnes  the  elder,  and  many  others.  All  are 
gone  ;  from  the  tall  gaunt  form  of  Uncle  Tim  Lee,  with  the 
huge  curls  of  his  sorrel  wig  (irreverently  so  called)  in  winter, 
and  his  clean  white  linen  cap  in  summer,  to  Mr.  'Siah  An- 
drews with  his  face  half  covered  by  a  crimson  mark.  The 
places  that  once  knew  them,  now  know  them  no  more  !  " 

I  may  add  here  a  few  words  in  relation  to  some  of  the 
other  leading  men  of  the  town  during  the  same  period. 

The  principal  physician  was  Dr.  Theodore  Wadsworth  ; 
whose  lamented  death  from  spotted  fever  has  been  noted 
above.  He  was  a  man  of  sound  judgment  and  much  expe- 
rience ;  and  the  people  confided  in  him  greatly.  At  the  same 

*  John  Cnrtiss,  Esq.  son  of  Rev.  Jeremiah  Curtiss,  died  March  25, 1801,  aged 
sixty-one  years. 

f  Timothy  Clark,  Esq.  died  March  1,  1812,  aged  seventy-nine  years. 

j  Pomeroy  Newell,  chosen  deacon  in  1795,  died  1831. 

§  Lieut  David  Smith  died  June  22,  1817,  aged  ninety-five  years.  He  was  a 
farmer ;  and  had  been  in  his  younger  days  a  blacksmith.  I  once  accompanied 
him  on  horseback  to  the  sea-shore  in  East  Haven  or  Branford,  where  he  had  two 
brothers;  One  day  the  three  brothers,  all  of  them  above  eighty  years  of  age,  went 
out  a  fishing  in  a  small  boat,  taking  me  with  them. 


SECT  IV.]  LEADING  MEN.  125 

time  Dr.  Mark  Newell,  a  native  of  the  place,  lived  and  mainly 
practised  in  the  northern  part  of  the  town.  Neither  of  these 
had  received  a  college  education. 

The  first  lawyer  resident  in  the  town  was  Koger  "Whittle- 
Bey,  who  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1787,  and  settled  in 
Southington  about  1793.  In  1794  he  married  the  daughter 
of  the  Eev.  Dr.  Smalley  of  New  Britain.  At  the  time  here 
referred  to,  he  was  in  his  best  years  and  in  full  practice.  He 
was  a  sound  lawyer  and  an  upright  man  ;  and  was  regularly 
sent  as  representative  to  the  legislature,  whenever  he  was  will- 
ing to  go  He  was  an  excellent  farmer,  though  not  on  a 
large  scale ;  and  every  thing  pertaining  to  his  house  and 
grounds  was  kept  with  the  utmost  neatness. 

About  A.  D.  1802,  Samuel  Woodruff,  who  has  already 
been  mentioned  as  a  lawyer  in  Wallingford,  returned  again  to 
his  native  town.  Here  he  continued  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession ;  and  was  for  some  years  a  judge  of  the  county  court. 
He  afterwards  removed  to  Granby.  His  son,  Samuel  H. 
Woodruff,  was  a  lawyer  in  Southington  for  several  years.  He 
then  removed  to  Simsbury  and  Tariffville  ;  and  has  been  like- 
wise a  judge  of  the  county  court  of  Hartford  county. 

The  principal  merchants  in  the  place,  at  this  time,  were 
the  brothers  Chester  and  Asaph  Whittlesey,  who  came  from 
Salisbury  ;  the  former  in  1799  and  the  latter  two  or  three 
•years  later.  They  were  both  intelligent  men,  and  their  busi- 
ness was  prosperous.  During  one  winter  Chester  taught  the 
central  district-school ;  and  was  followed  by  Asaph  for  two 
winters.  The  latter  ultimately  removed  to  the  town  of  Tall- 
madge  in  Ohio. 

For  a  time,  also,  Joel  Root,  a  very  enterprising  business 
man,  had  a  larger  store  at  '  the  Corner/  as  it  was  then  called 
now  Plantsville.  As  a  young  man  he  had  been  aided  by  the 
counsels  of  Mr.  Eobinson  ;  and  afterwards  went  as  supercargo 
on  a  voyage  to  the  East  Indies.  He  was  wont  to  say,  that  he 
was  indebted  to  Mr.  Robinson  for  his  success  in  life.  He  after- 
wards removed  to  New  Haven. 


126  MEMOIR.  [PART  H. 

During  the  same  interval,  Selah  Lewis  and  Lucas  Curtiss, 
who  married  sisters,  were  leading  men  in  the  business  of  the 
town.  The  former  was  active  and  brisk  in  his  movements  ; 
the  latter  heavy  and  slow.  Both  were  farmers  ;  Mr.  Lewis  on 
a  large  scale,  and  Mr.  Curtiss  on  a  smaller  one.  Both  acted 
also  for  several  years  as  constables.  The  latter,  a  son  of 
Deac.  John  Curtiss,  was  often  sent  to  the  legislature  ;  and  was 
for  many  years  town-clerk. 

Selah  Barnes  likewise  was  an  active  man  of  business  ;  he 
lived  near  his  mill,  and  entered  largely  into  the  preparation  of 
corn  meal  for  exportation.  His  brother,  Ira  Barnes,  carried 
on  business  largely  at  the  Corner  for  several  years  ;  and  then 
removed  to  New  Haven.  Roswell  Moore  resided  on  his  farm 
upon  the  mountain,  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  town  ;  he, 
too,  was  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  the  town,  was  justice  of 
the  peace,  and  was  often  sent  to  the  legislature. 

The  preceding  notices  are  of  course  intended  to  be  exceed- 
ingly brief ;  and  cannot  therefore  include  many  persons  and 
things,  otherwise  deserving  of  mention. — The  present  prosper- 
ous Academy  in  Southington  had  not  then  been  founded. 

On  the  24th  of  March,  1811,  Sophia,  the  eldest  daughter 
of  Mr.  Robinson,  and  the  only  surviving  child  of  his  third 
wife,  was  married  by  him  to  James  Woodruff,  eldest  son  of 
Judge  Woodruff  mentioned  above.  She  soon  removed  to 
Catskill,  N.  Y.  where  her  husband  was  established  in  mer- 
cantile business.  In  the  summer  of  1812,  I  visited  her  there, 
on  my  way  to  Clinton,  Oneida  Co.  where  in  the  autumn  I 
joined  the  first  Freshman  class  in  Hamilton  College.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1814,  I  came  to  Catskill,  to  pass  the  college  vacation. 
Here  I  was  seized  with  a  violent  inflammation  of  the  lungs 
and  chest,  which  for  a  time  threatened  to  prove  fatal.  The 
intelligence  was  sent  to  my  parents  ;  who  immediately  set  off 
for  Catskill  in  their  own  sleigh.  This  was  their  first  visit  to 
Catskill ;  but  they  subsequently  were  there  several  times. 

I  graduated  at  Hamilton  College  in  1816  ;  and  in  Feb- 


SECT.  IV.]  EZRA  SAMPSON.  127 

ruary,  1817.  repaired  to  Hudson,  N.  Y.  where  I  spent  the 
summer  in  the  law  office  of  James  Strong,  Esq.  afterwards 
member  of  Congress.  Here  I  became  acquainted  with  the 
Rev.  Ezra  Sampson,  my  father's  former  classmate  and  most 
cherished  friend  ;  who  was  then  residing  in  Hudson,  retired 
from  the  ministry  and  from  all  business.*  The  college  cor- 
respondence of  the  two  friends  had  closed  in  1777  ;  and  they 
appear  not  to  have  met  again  until  the  sojourn  of  Mr.  Samp- 
son in  Hartford  in  1804  and  1805,  as  an  editor  of  the  Con- 
necticut Courant.  While  there,  Mr.  Sampson  laid  his  plans 
to  visit  my  father  at  Southington.  But  his  purpose  was 
frustrated  ;  and  he  wrote  a  letter  expressing  his  disappoint- 
ment, under  date  of  September  24,  1805,  the  day  before  he 
left  Hartford.  No  further  letters  had  passed  between  them. 

As  the  son  of  his  old  friend  Mr.  Sampson  took  an  interest 
in  me  ;  and  the  intercourse  I  was  permitted  to  have  with  him, 
and  the  wise  counsels  which  he  imparted,  are  among  the  most 
cherished  recollections  of  my  early  life.  After  my  departure 
in  September,  Mr.  Sampson  wrote  once  more  to  my  father. 
From  this  letter,  as  touchingly  illustrating  the  way  in  which 
age  looks  back  upon  the  feelings  and  friendships  of  its  own 
youth,  I  give  an  extract. 

"HUDSON,  September  26,  1817. 

"Mr  DEAR  SIR, — I  have  sometimes  found,  by  my  own 
experience,  that  certain  things,  for  a  long  while  faded  from 
recollection,  are  brought  back  anew  and  with  freshness  by  an 
association  of  ideas ;  and  never,  perhaps,  in  all  my  life,  has  it 
been  more  remarkably  so  with  me,  than  in  the  instance  I  am 
about  to  mention. 

"  Between  us  two,  there  was  in  our  juvenile  days,  the  closest 
intimacy.  But  time  and  distance,  the  lapse  of  half  a  century 
and  the  wide  space  that  separates  us,  had  well  nigh  obliter- 
ated in  me  the  minute  particulars  of  that  intimacy  ;  when  an 
acquaintance  with  your  son,  alike  unexpected  and  pleasing, 

*  For  a  Memoir  of  the  Rev.  Ezra  Sampson,  see  Sprague's  Annals,  II.  pp.  122- 
125. 


128  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

seemed  at  once  to  bring  them  up  from  oblivion  into  clear  view. 
Believe  me,  dear  Sir,  in  thought  I  am  now  and  then  walking 
with  you  in  the  suburbs  of  old  Yale,  just  as  we  used  to  walk 
together,  when  your  own  age  was  about  the  measure  of  his. 
It  is  thus  I  dream  with  my  eyes  open.  * 

"I  learn  that  you  have  a  daughter  living  at  Catskill,  whom 
you  will  probably  visit  at  some  future  time,  and  I  earnestly 
hope  to  see  you  then  at  my  solitary  chamber. 

"EZRA  SAMPSON." 

Mr.  Sampson  was  at  this  time  sixty-eight  years  old,  and 
Mr.  Robinson  sixty-three.  The  wish  of  the  former  was  grati- 
fied ;  my  father  having  subsequently  once  visited  him  in  Hud- 
son, on  a  journey  to  Catskill.  It  was  their  last  meeting  on 
earth.  Mr.  Sampson  removed  to  New  York  in  1820  ;  'where 
he  died  December  12,  1823,  aged  seventy-four  years. 

The  infirmities  of  advancing  years  had  already  begun  to 
make  inroads  upon  the  athletic  form  of  Mr.  Robinson.  He 
had  never  spared  himself  in  respect  to  exertion  or  exposure. 
Of  late  years  he  had  become  more  corpulent  ;  and  of  course 
less  alert  and  vigorous.  He  had  long  given  up  riding  on 
horseback  ;  and  now  drove  about  the  town  every  day  in  a  light 
one-horse  wagon,  living  much  in  the  open  air.  When  about 
the  age  of  sixty  years,  his  feet  and  lower  limbs  began  to  swell ; 
so  that  he  had  difficulty  in  walking,  and  especially  in  standing 
long  in  the  pulpit.  These  infirmities  gradually  increased ;  and 
ultimately  dropsical  symptoms  supervened,  with  an  occasional 
difficulty  of  breathing.  From  all  these  indications  he  could 
not  fail  to  be  impressed  with  the  conclusion,  that  his  labours 
in  his  Master's  cause  were  drawing  to  a  close. 

For  several  years  before  this  time,  these  labours  had  been 
in  no  wise  diminished,  but  rather  increased.  As  years  rolled 
on,  and  he  had  attained  the  object  for  which  he  first  gave 
attention  to  secular  pursuits  ;  as  his  children  were  now  grown 
up  and  mostly  removed  from  him  ;  as  his  early  friends,  the 
fathers  of  the  parish,  had  passed  away,  and  left  him  compara- 
tively aloae  ;  it  was  natural,  that  the  claims  of  business,  and 


SECT.  IV.]  APPROACHING  OLD  AGE.  129 

worldly  matters  generally,  should  have  less  hold  upon  him ; 
and  that  he  should  exercise  the  functions  of  his  sacred  office 
with  even  more  delight  and  diligence,  and  in  a  more  spiritual 
frame.  For  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years  of  his  life,  he  was 
evidently  looking  forward  more  and  more  to  another  and  a 
better  country  ;  to  a  glory  still  to  be  revealed.  His  preaching 
was,  perhaps,  not  less  doctrinal,  but  more  earnest  and  impres- 
sive. The  fruits  were  seen  in  the  large  accessions  to  his  church 
from  about  the  year  1813  onwards  ;  most  of  which  were  from 
those  who  .had  grown  up  under  his  ministry.  A  more  detailed 
account  of  these  additions  is  given  at  the  close  of  the  present 
Section. 

In  view  of  all  these  circumstances  of  declining  health  and 
approaching  old  ago,  Mr.  Robinson,  in  the  summer  of  1818, 
addressed  the  following  letter  to  the  society,  under  date  of 
July  27,  1818.  A  copy  of  the  same  was  also  communicated 
to  the  church : 

"  To  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Society  estab- 
lished by  law  in  Southington. 

"  GENTLEMEN, — My  years,  and  growing  infirmities  in  my 
feet  and  limbs,  admonish  me  of  my  approaching  dissolution. 
They  render  it  impossible  for  me  regularly  to  discharge  the 
duties  of  my  ministerial  office.  It  has  been  with  much  pain 
and  difficulty,  that  I  have  stood  in  the  pulpit  for  several  years 
past.  Your  inconveniences  in  consequence  of  my  infirmities 
have  not  been  inconsiderable.  They  will  probably  increase. 

"It  is  therefore  my  request,  that  you  will  take  regular 
measures,  to  furnish  yourselves  with  another  preacher. 

"  I  have  spent  my  life  in  company  with  the  ministers  of 
Christ,  as  a  member  of  an  Association,  and  a  pastor  of  a  con- 
sociated  church.  I  have  seen  one  generation  of  ministers  pass 
away,  and  another  rise.  I  have  enjoyed  much  pleasure,  sat- 
isfaction, and  peace,  with  them  all. — I  have  worn  out  my 
strength,  and  grown  grey,  in  the  service  of  you  and  your  fathers. 
I  think  I  may  call  God  to  witness,  that  I  have  not  shunned 
9 


130  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

to  declare  to  you  the  whole  counsel  of  God,  and  have  kept 
back  nothing  that  could  be  profitable  to  you.  I  have,  sought 
not  yours,  but  you. — It  is  my  desire  to  close  my  life  in  the 
same  company  and  employment. 

"  It  is  therefore  my  wish,  that  you  would  agree  to  place  a 
colleague  with  me  in  the  ministry  ;  one  who  may  take  on  him 
the  active  part  of  service  ;  one  with  whom  I  may  harmonize 
in  sentiment  and  feeling  ;  one  who  may  serve  with  me  as  a 
son  with  a  father  in  the  Gospel.*  In  that  case,  nothing  that 
I  can  do,  by  counsel  and  advice,  by  occasional  labours,  or  sub- 
stantial assistance,  for  him  or  for  you,  will  be  left  undone  by 
me  while  I  continue. 

"  Should  it  however  be  your  choice,  that  I  shall  be  thrown 
by  as  a  broken  vessel,  that  another  may  independently  occupy 
the  whole  ground,  I  shall  make  no  resistance.  In  either  case 
I  shall  be  content  to  agree  on  terms,  against  which  reasonable 
men  shall  find  no  cause  of  complaint. 

"  I  am  your  friend  and  servant  in  the  Lord, 

,     "  WILLIAM  ROBINSON." 

In  reply  to  this  communication,  the  church,  at  a  meeting 
held  August  26,  1818,  voted  unanimously  to  comply  with  the 
request  contained  in  it,  to  settle  a  colleague  with  Mr.  Robin- 
eon  ;  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  take  measures  accord- 
ingly. 

The  society  decided  not  to  settle  a  colleague  ;  as  appears 
by  the  following  vote  : 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Society  in  Southington,  legally 
warned,  and  held  on  the  5th  day  of  September,  1818. 

Voted,  that  the  Society  are  willing,  that  the  Eev.  Mr.  Robinson  be 
dismissed  from  his  clerical  duties,  provided  he  chooses  such  dismission. 

Two  months  afterwards,  however,  the  society  formally 
invited  their  pastor  to  continue  his  services,  as  God  -should 
give  him  strength. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Society  in  Southington  held  by  ad- 
journment on  the  19th  day  of  November,  1818. 

*  PhiL  2,  22. 


SECT.  IV.]  COLLEAGUE   PROPOSED. 

Voted,  to  appoint  a  Committee  to  request  Mr.  Robinson  to  continue 
in  the  ministry,  so  far  as  his  health  will  admit,  and,  if  he  wishes  to  be 
dismissed,  to  get  his  terms,  and  report  to  this  meeting. 

Voted,  that  Ichabod  C.  Frisbie,  Benjamin  Button,  and  Timothy  Hart 
be  the  aforesaid  Committee. 

Thus  the  aged  pastor's  hopes  of  relief  from  labours  now- 
become  difficult,  were  for  the  present  disappointed.  His 
friends  and  nearest  neighbours  in  the  ministry,  Dr.  Smalley 
and  Dr.  Upson,  had  enjoyed  great  relief  and  comfort  in  con- 
nection with  their  colleagues  ;  and  such  an  arrangement  would 
doubtless  have  contributed  greatly  to  solace  the  declining  years 
of  Mr.  Robinson. 

He  continued  to  preach  for  more  than  two  and  a  half 
years  longer  ;  though  often  with  great  pain,  and  difficulty  in 
standing.  No  further  steps  were  taken  for  his  relief  until 
November,  1820  ;  and  even  then,  it  would  appear,  not  from 
any  effort  or  direct  communication  on  his  part.  At  a  meeting 
of  the  society,  held  November  27, 1820,  the  following  vote  was 
passed  ;  which  explains  itself,  and  suggests  also  perhaps  the 
reason  of  the  vote  in  1818,  declining  to  settle  a  colleague  : 

Whereas  the  Eev.  William  Robinson,  by  age  and  infirmity,  has  be- 
come unable  at  all  times  to  discharge  the  active  duties  of  his  clerical  office 
without  inconvenience  to  him  ; 

And  whereas  it  is  thought  probable,  from  some  suggestions  of  his,  that 
he  would  be  willing  to  relinquish  his  salary,  provided  the  Society  could 
unite  in  settling  a  colleague  with  him  in  the  ministry  ; 

Therefore,  Voted  by  this  society,  that  we  proceed  to  settle  a  colleague 
with  the  Rev.  "William  Robinson  in  the  ministry  in  this  place: — Provided 
he,  the  said  William  Robinson,  will  relinquish  his  salary  from  and  after 
the  first  day  of  February  next : — Provided  however,  and  it  is  hereby  un- 
derstood, that  the  Soeiety  do  continue  to  pay  said  minister  the  same  salary 
as  heretofore,  for  such  part  of  the  time  as  he  shall  supply  the  pulpit}  until 
a  colleague  be  settled  as  aforesaid. 

Voted,  that  Roger  Whittlesey,  Selah  Barnes,  Eli  Pratt,  and  Phinehas 
Pardee,  be  a  committee  to  communicate  the  foregoing  vote  of  the  Society 
to  Mr.  Robinson,  and  request  an  answer  in  writing,  to  report  to  the  next 
meeting. 

The  committee  waited  upon  Mr.  Robinson  ;  and  the  re- 


132  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

suit  of  the  interview  appears  from  the  following  communica- 
tion from  him  to  the  society,  dated  December  11,  1820 : 

"  To  the  Members  of  the  Society  of  Soutliington. 

"  Your  committee  have  performed  the  service  assigned 
them,  by  communicating  to  me  your  vote  of  Nov.  27th.  It 
was  their  opinion,  that  they  had  no  right,  as  a  committee,  to 
discuss  any  question  with  me.  I  have  therefore  only  to  answer 
to  the  vote.  And  I  must  say,  that  I  cannot  accede  to  the 
proposition  made,  without  other  conditions  annexed  to  it. 

"  I  will  say,  however,  that  I  will  make  no  objection  against 
relinquishing  my  salary,  and  giving  up  all  claims  on  the 
society  on  reasonable  terms,  at  any  time  when  they  may  wish 
it ;  either  by  taking  a  dismission,  or  by  giving  up  the  active 
part  of  service  to  a  colleague.  I  think,  however,  I  have  a 
right  to  expect  to  be  consulted,  about  what  are  reasonable 
terms  ;  and  to  have  some  concern  in  deciding  the  point. 
"  I  am  your  friend  and  servant, 

"  WILLIAM  ROBINSON. 

"  N.  B.  I  shall  not  insist  upon  it,  as  one  of  the  terms 
above  mentioned,  that  the  society  shall  pay  me  any  thing 
at  all." 

At  a  meeting  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  Dec.  llth, 
the  society  appointed  a  committee  to  confer  with  the  pastor 
on  the  subject  of  their  former  vote.  The  committee  was  the 
same  as  before,  with  the  addition  of  Addison  Cowles,  Stephen 
Walkly,  and  Timothy  Hart. 

Of  the  interview  between  this  committee  and  Mr.  Robin- 
son there  is  no  record.  The  society  held  another  meeting, 
December  18, 1820  ;  at  which  the  following  action  was  taken  : 

Voted,  that  the  Society  proceed  to  take  measures  to  call  a  council  to 
dismiss  the  Rev.  William  Robinson. 

What  were  the  '  conditions '  desired  by  Mr.  Robinson,  and 
referred  to  in  his  letter  of  Dec.  llth  ;  or  what  were  the  reasons 
which  led  the  society  so  speedily  to  recall  their  vote  in  favour 


SECT.  IV.]  PROCEEDINGS  FOR  DISMISSION.  133 

of  a  colleague,  and  decide  for  the  dismissal  of  their  pastor  ;  no- 
where appears  in  any  record.  Mr.  Robinson  having  long  be- 
fore determined,  in  such  a  case,  "  to  make  no  resistance,"  never 
spoke  on  the  subject  to  his  sons ;  all  of  whom,  at  the  time, 
were  residing  at  a  distance  from  him.  But,  during  the  one 
and  forty  years  of  his  ministry,  the  fathers,  who  knew  him 
best,  had  passed  away  ;  and  a  new  and  younger  generation  had 
sprung  up,  many  of  whom  feared  rather  than  reverenced  him. 
Many  mechanics  and  manufacturers  had  also  come  in  from 
other  places,  who  had  in  respect  to  him  no  personal  recollec- 
tions nor  attachments.  And,  perhaps  not  least,  the  '  strong 
meat '  of  his  preaching  was  now  less  acceptable  than  of  old. 

More  than  a  year  has  already  elapsed  since  the  preceding 
lines  were  written.  Quite  recently  I  have  received  some  fur- 
ther information  through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Walkly,  a  sur- 
viving member  of  the  last  committee  appointed  by  the  society 
as  related  above.  His  letter,  dated  December  2,  1858;  con- 
firms, throughout,  the  views  expressed  in  the  preceding  para- 
graph, so  far  as  they  go. 

It  appears,  alsoj  that  when  the  first  committee  reported  to 
the  meeting  held  on  the  llth  of  December,  a  motion  was  made 
by  the  friends  of  Mr.  Robinson  to  allow  him,  along  with  the 
settlement  of  a  colleague,  two  privileges,  viz. :  First,  "  The  use 
for  life  of  the  pew  always  occupied  by  his  family  ;"  which  in- 
deed was  granted  on  his  dismissal ;  and,  Second,  "  Immunity 
from  taxation  by  the  society."  The  motion  did  not  pass. 
This  latter  condition  was  obviously  the  rock,  on  which  the 
whole  negotiation  was  wrecked.  The  uneasy  spirits  who  now 
had  rule,  not  satisfied  with  Mr.  Robinson's  absolute  renunci- 
ation of  all  salary,  demanded  that  he  should  contribute  largely 
(as  they  supposed)  for  the  support  of  a  colleague.*  "  Your 
father,"  is  the  language  of  the  same  letter,  "  had  many  staunch 
friends  ;  and  a  large  majority  of  the  male  and  nearly  all  the 
female  portion  of  the  society,  were  opposed  to  his  dismission. 

*  In  Connecticut,  a  pastor  is  in  practice  exempt  from  taxation  by  tbe  society ; 
but  not  in  law. 


134  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

But  disgusted  at  the  conduct  of  the  uneasy  and  dissatisfied 
portion,  many  staid  away  from  the  meetings,  and  let  them 
have  their  own  way." 

The  interview  of  the  last  committee  with  Mr.  Eobinson 
took  place  Dec.  18th;  and  was  very  brief.  One  of  the  members, 
with  great  diffidence  and  embarrassment,  undertook  to  state, 
that  the  society  did  not  see  fit  to  comply  with  the  conditions 
proposed  to  the  meeting ;  and  was  about  to  make  some  sug- 
gestions ;  when  Mr.  Robinson,  seeing  his  embarrassment,  re- 
lieved him  by  saying  in  substance  :  "  Make  your  own  conditions, 
Gentlemen  ;  if  the  society  feel  that  it  will  be  right,  according 
to  justice,  and  true  Christian  principles,  let  them  dismiss  me 
without  any  conditions." — The  final  vote  of  the  society  to  that 
effect  was  taken  the  same  afternoon. 

Thus  far  the  society  had  obviously  proceeded  ex  parte, 
without  the  concurrence  of  the  pastor  or  the  church.  The 
dismission  could  not  well  take  place  without  some  like  action 
of  the  latter.  The  church,  as  appears  from  the  minutes  of 
the  council,  still  desired  to  settle  a  colleague.  The  matter  lay 
along  for  nearly  three  months  ;  when  on  the  13th  of  March 
1821,  Mr.  Robinson  addressed  to  the  church  the  following 
letter : 

"  To  the  Gonsociated  Ohurch  of  Christ  in  Soutliington. 

"  BRETHREN, — It  will  be  remembered,  that  more  than  two 
years  ago,  I  requested  the  people  in  this  place  to  settle  a  col- 
league with  me,  or  to  allow  me  to  be  dismissed  on  account  of 
my  age  and  infirmities.  You  were  unanimous  in  voting  to 
comply  with  my  wishes  by  settling  a  colleague.  The  society 
determined  otherwise.  A  committee  was  then  sent  to  me, 
requesting  me  to  continue  preaching,  as  God  should  give  me 
health  and  strength.  I  have  continued  till  this  time  ;  but 
often  with  great  pain,  and  difficulty  in  standing. 

"  I  now  renew  my  request  to  you,  (since  circumstances 
forbid  me  to  say  any  thing  on  the  subject  of  a  colleague,)  that 


SECT.  IV.]  PROCEEDINGS  FOR  DISMISSION,  135 

my  pastoral  relation  to  you  may  be  dissolved,  at  such  time  and 
in  such  manner,  as  you  shall  judge  most  expedient. 

'{ I  thank  you  for  all  expressions  of  Christian  friendship 
and  kindness,  which  I  have  experienced  from  you  ;  and  pray 
that  God  will  give  you  grace  to  be  faithful  in  every  duty,  and 
at  last  receive  you  to  his  kingdom. 

"WILLIAM  ROBINSON,  Pastor." 

This  letter  was  laid  before  the  church  at  a  meeting  held 
March  13th  ;  and,  after  discussion,  the  meeting  was  adjourned 
till  March  29,  1821;  when  the  following  vote  was  adopted  : 

Voted,  to  comply  with  the  request  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robinson,  that  his 
pastoral  relation  to  us  be  dissolved. 

A  committee,  consisting  of  Deac.  Eli  Pratt,  Deac.  Phin- 
ehas  Pardee,  and  Mr.  Theodosius  Clark,  was  appointed  to 
take  measures  accordingly. 

The  way  was  now  open  ;  and  a  mutual  council  was  con- 
vened in  the  course  of  the  next  month.  The  following  is  the 
record  of  its  proceedings  : 

"At  a  meeting  of  an  ecclesiastical  council  convened  in 
Southington,  April  24,  1821,  by  a  special  request  from  the 
Eev.  William  Robinson  and  a  committee  of  the  church  and 
society. 

"  Present  :  Rev.  Messrs. 

John  Keyes,  [Pastor  of  the  church  in  Wolcott. 

Noah  Porter,  "  Farmington. 

Newton  Skinner,  "  New  Britain. 

Jonathan  Cone,    "  "  Bristol. 

Royal  Robbins,    "  Kensington. 

"  Mr.  Skinner  was  chosen  Scribe,  and  Mr.  Porter,  Moder- 
ator. 

"  The  council  was  opened  with  prayer  by  the  Moderator. 

"  Certain  documents  were  laid  before  the  council  ;  from 
which  it  appeared,  that  after  various  communications  between 
the  Rev.  William  Robinson  and  the  church  and  society  in  regard 
to  the  continuance  of  his  pastoral  relation  to  them,  the  society 


136  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

came  to  the  conclusion,  that  it  was  expedient  that  the  said 
relation  be  dissolved  ;  and  though  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robinson  and 
the  church  would  have  preferred  the  settlement  of  a  colleague, 
they  concurred  with  the  result  of  the  society. 

"  The  council  would  express  their  regret,  that  the  relation 
between  an  aged  and  faithful  minister  and  his  people  should 
ever  be  dissolved,  except  by  death  ;  and  they  are  of  opinion, 
that  if  measures  had  been  taken  to  preserve  the  relation  be- 
tween the  society  and  their  aged  pastor,  it  would  have  been 
happier  for  them  and  for  him.  But  after  taking  into  serious 
consideration  what  had  passed  between  the  society  and  their 
pastor,  and  the  present  circumstances  of  this  people,  the 
council  feel  themselves  under  the  painful  necessity  of  adopting 
the  following  resolutions  : 

"  First.  That  in  the  judgment  of  the  council,  it  is  expe- 
dient that  the  relation  between  the  Rev.  William  Robinson 
and  this  church  and  society,  be  dissolved. 

"  Secondly.  That  the  said  relation  be  dissolved  ;  and  by 
the  authority  devolved  on  us,  as  ministers  of  Christ,  it  is  de- 
clared to  be  dissolved. 

"  In  conclusion,  the  council  would  notice  with  gratitude 
the  goodness  of  God,  in  favouring  this  church  and  people,  for 
many  years,  with  the  able  and  faithful  labours  of  their  late 
pastor  ;  and  though  they  regret  that  it  should  be  found  neces- 
sary, that  the  relation  between  him  and  them  should  now  be 
dissolved,  they  hope  that  he  will  be  enabled  to  be  further  use- 
ful to  them,  and  still  see  the  fruits  of  his  labours  among  them. 

"  They  affectionately  commend  him  to  the  grace  of  Grod  ; 
and  also  entreat  this  church  and  congregation  to  cultivate 
towards  him  those  affectionate  regards,  which  his  late  relation 
to  them  and  his  declining  years  so  feelingly  demand.  And 
finally,  they  unite  with  them  in  prayer,  that  the  great  Head 
of  the  church  would  soon  send  them  a  pastor  after  his  own 
heart,  abundantly  pour  out  upon  them  his  Holy  Spirit,  and 
build  them  up  in  holiness,  peace,  and  love  to  his  heavenly 
kingdom.  Attest,  NOAH  PORTER,  Moderator. 

NEWTON  SKINNER,  Scribe." 


SECT.  IV.]  DISMISSION.     STATE  OF  THE  CHURCH.  13*7 

A  sermon  was  delivered  before  the  congregation  assembled 
on  the  occasion,  by  the  Eev.  Mr.  Cone  of  Bristol.  It  is  re- 
membered as  having  been  solemn  and  affecting,  causing  many 
tears  to  flow. 

Thus  was  terminated  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Eobinson,  after 
a  duration  of  forty-one  years,  two  months,  and  eleven  days. 
The  Rev.  David  L.  Ogden,  his  successor,  was  ordained  October 
31,  1821  ;  and  dismissed  September  13,  1836.  The  present 
pastor,  Eev.  Elisha  C.  Jones,  was  ordained  June  28,  1837. 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  motives  by  which  the  ma- 
jority of  the  society  were  influenced,  the  members  of  the  church 
clung  to  their  aged  pastor  with  strong  feelings  of  attachment. 
He  had  laid  the  heads  of  many  parents  and  households  in  their 
graves  ;  he  had  baptized  many  children,  who  had  grown  up  to 
fill  their  parents'  places  ;  and  there  now  remained  few  members 
of  the  church,  who  had  not  been  brought  into  it  by  his 
instrumentality,  as  their  spiritual  father.  Their  attachment 
and  sympathy  were  to  him  a  strong  consolation  in  the  few 
remaining  years  of  his  pilgrimage. 

The  history  and  increase  of  the  church  during  the  first 
thirteen  years  of  the  present  century,  retained  the  general 
character  of  ordinary  prosperity,  like  that  described  in  the 
preceding  period.  In  only  one  year,  1805,  were  there  no 
admissions.  In  the  other  years  the  number  varied  from  one  to 
ten.  But  in  1814  and  the  following  years,  a  new  spirit  was 
awakened  ;  and  there  were  tokens  of  God's  presence.  In  the 
autumn  of  that  year  seventeen  new  members  were  admitted  ; 
in  1815,  twenty-eight ;  in  1816,  fifteen  ;  and  in  1817,  fourteen. 
In  the  next  three  years.  1818-20,  only  thirteen  in  all  were 
received.  But  in  August,  1821,  after  the  dismission  of  Mr. 
Eobinson,  and  nearly  three  months  before  the  settlement  of 
his  successor,  thirty-four  persons  were  received  on  profession, 
by  the  Eev.  Mr.  Cone  of  Bristol.  In  December  of  the  same 
year,  the  Eev.  Mr.  Ogden,  a  month  after  his  ordination,  admit- 
ted fourteen  more  ;  making  in  all  forty-eight  admitted  during 
that  year.  All  these  were  persons  who  had  been  mostly  trained 


138  MEMOIR.  [PAET  II. 

under  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Kobinson;  and  may  in  strict  justice 
be  regarded  as  fruits  of  his  ministry.  The  same  is  true,  in  a 
more  general  sense,  as  to  the  thirty-nine  admitted  in  1822, 
and  the  twenty-five  received  in  1823.  And  there  is  the  highest 
authority  for  saying,  "  that  the  subsequent  growth  and  pros- 
perity of  this  church  were  probably  based,  in  a  good  measure, 
upon  the  sound  doctrinal  knowledge,  in  which  he  had  estab- 
lished the  minds  of  the  people  in  his  day."* 

Such,  in  general,  were  the  fruits  of  his  later  ministry.  It 
is  interesting  to  look  over  the  lists  of  admissions,  following 
powerful  revivals,  in  1831,  1833,  1834,  and  even  1838  ;  and 
observe  how  many  names  they  contain  of  persons,  and  not  a 
few  of  them  leading  men,  who  had  long  sat  under  the  teach- 
ing of  their  former  pastor. 

*  See  the  letter  of  the  Rev.  E.  C.  Jones,  the  present  pastor,  in  Sect  YL 


SECT.  V.]  LAST  YEARS.  139 


SECTION   Y. 

His  LAST  YEARS,  DEATH,  AND  CHARACTER. 

1821-1825. 

HAVING  been  thus  relieved  from  all  the  active  duties  of 
the  ministry,  Mr.  Robinson  continued  to  reside  upon  his  home- 
stead, during  the  few  remaining  years  of  his  life.  There  was, 
at  one  time,  some  talk  of  his  removing  to  New  Haven,  where 
his  second  son  was  then  in  business  ;  but  it  was  probably  well 
that  nothing  came  of  it.  In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year, 
1821,  he  was  also  relieved  from  the  care  and  supervision  of  the 
farm  by  the  return  of  his  youngest  son  from  college  ;  who 
thenceforth  took  the  chief  management  of  all  the  out  of  door 
affairs. 

To  his  successor,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ogden,  he  gave  a  cordial 
welcome  and  support.  The  latter  thus  writes  :  "  It  is  an  old 
proverb,  that  dismissed  ministers  make  bad  parishioners.  I 
do  not  believe  that  it  is  founded  in  truth.  At  any  rate,  Mr. 
Robinson  was  no  example  of  it.  He  was  not  a  man  of  great 
professions,  without  action  ;  but  he  generally  did  more  than 
he  said  ;  being  remarkably  sincere  and  unostentatious.  As  an 
instance  of  this,  I  learned  that  he  went  around  among  the 
people,  to  induce  them  to  help  me  in  building  the  house, 
which  I  afterwards  occupied.  But  he  never  told  me  a  word 
respecting  that  fact." 

Much  of  his  time  he  passed  in  the  open  air,  in  driving  in 
his  light  wagon  about  the  town  ;  often  also  extending  his 
drives  to  the  adjacent  towns.  When  at  home  he  continued 
to  take  pleasure  in  cultivating  his  garden ;  and  occupied  him- 
self daily  in  the  smaller  domestic  cares  around  the  house  and 


140  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

its  premises.  He  also  read  much  ;  and  made  himself  exten- 
sively acquainted  with  modern  literature.  In  all  his  duties  as 
a  member  of  society,  and  in  connection  with  the  church,  he 
was  punctual  and  exemplary  ;  and  still  attended  regularly  the 
meetings  of  the  Hartford  South  Association,  to  which  he  be- 
longed. 

His  infirmities  continued  gradually  to  increase.  The 
dropsical  symptoms,  and  especially  the  swelling  of  the  feet 
and  lower  limbs,  and  the  difficulty  of  breathing,  became 
more  and  more  marked,  and  occasioned  much  distress.  He 
was  conscious  that  his  strength  and  life  were  thus  wearing 
away  ;  and  there  were  times,  when  he  expected  that  the  '  silver 
cord  '  would  soon  be  loosed.  In  all  these  trials  he  manifested 
a  spirit  of  entire  resignation  to  the  divine  will.  "  Though  he 
slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  him,"  was  the  language  of  his  con- 
versation and  of  his  letters  to  his  sons. 

Near  the  close  of  1824,  Mr.  Robinson  was  called  to  endure 
his  last  great  domestic  affliction,  in  the  death  of  his  wife  ;  who 
now  for  thirty-four  and  a  half  years  had  been  the  cherished  com- 
panion and  stay  of  his  life.  She  had  never  enjoyed  firm  health  ; 
and  had  suffered  much  for  many  years  from  intense  headache 
and  general  derangement  of  the  digestive  organs.  I  was  at 
this  time  resident  in  Andover,  Mass,  and  had  visited  home 
during  the  autumn,  when  she  was  quite  feeble.  Her  health 
appeared  to  mend  until  the  middle  of  December,  when,  hav- 
ing lain  down  on  Wednesday  afternoon  (Dec.  15th)  for  rest,  she 
was  found  on  her  bed  helpless,  delirious,  almost  speechless,  and 
affected  with  strong  nervous  agitations  of  the  body  and  limbs. 
The  physician  regarded  it  as  an  attack  of  fever.  The  medi- 
cines administered  had  a  favourable  operation  ;  she  regained 
her  reason  and  speech,-  though  she  remained  very  feeble. 
There  were  at  the  time  several  cases  of  an  epidemic  in  the 
town,  known  as  the  "  southern  fever  ;  "  and  her  disease  was 
thought  by  some  to  be  of  the  same  type. 

The  symptoms  continued  to  improve  until  Saturday.  On 
that  evening  she  became  worse,  and  felt  her  end  approach- 


SECT.  V.]  DEATH  OF  HIS  WIFE. 

ing.  Taking  gently  the  hand  of  her  daughter,  who  sat  by  her 
bedside,  she  said  :  "  You  and  I  must  soon  part."  Soon  after- 
wards she  requested  that  her  husband  might  be  called  ;  and 
after  conversing  briefly  with  him,  and  expressing  her  resigna- 
tion to  the  will  of  God,  she  desired  him  to  pray  with  her. 

She  continued  to  fail ;  and  between  one  and  two  o'clock  in 
the  morning  thought  herself  dying.  She  spoke  a  little  ;  but 
was  drowsy.  Being  asked  by  her  husband,  if  he  should  pray 
with  her,  she  answered,  Yes  ;  and  said  it  would  probably  be 
the  last  prayer  in  which  she  should  ever  join  on  earth.  When 
asked  if  she  had  any  message  for  her  eldest  son,  she  said  : 
"  Tell  him  to  do  all  the  good  he  can  in  the  world."  She  re- 
peated the  text,  "  The  wicked  have  no  bands  in  their  death." 
About  four  o'clock  she  sunk  into  a  deathlike  stupor,  from 
which  she  could  not  be  roused  ;  this  lasted  for  four  hours. 

On  Sunday  morning  her  son  from  New  Haven  arrived,  and 
with  him  Dr.  Ives  of  that  city.  But  there  was  no  longer 
any  relief  from  medicine.  The  voice  of  her  son  seemed  par- 
tially to  rouse  her  ;  and  she  knew  him.  From  that  time  she 
lingered,  with  alternations  of  stupor  and  brief  consciousness, 
often  apparently  in  extreme  pain,  until  half-past  ten  o'clock 
on  Monday  morning,  when  she  expired,  Dec.  20,  1824,  aged 
sixty-three  years  and  eleven  months. 

Her  funeral  took  place  the  next  day  at  the  meeting-house. 
A  large  concourse  attended  ;  several  ministers  from  the  adja- 
cent towns  were  present ;  and  a  sermon  was  preached  by  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Porter  of  Farmington,  from  Job  vii.  1,  first  clause. 

These  sad  tidings  were  of  course  communicated  to  me  at 
Andover,  chiefly  in  letters  from  my  father;  but  in  consequence 
of  the  bad  roads  and  delay  of  the  mails,  I  did  not  hear  of  her 
illness  until  after  her  funeral  had  taken  place.  The  shock  to 
her  husband  was  at  first  stunning  ;  and  his  earliest  letters,  as 
is  not  unfrequent  in  like  circumstances,  seemed  to  express 
little  emotion.  But  in  a  letter  written  three  weeks  later, 
after  he  had  come  more  fully  to  realize  his  loss,  a  gush  of  feel- 
ing broke  forth  from  the  very  depths  of  his  soul.  Alter  re- 


142  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

counting  many  of  the  circumstances,  and  how,  in  the  intervals 
of  consciousness,  she  was  "  rational  and  calm,  waiting  for  her 
last  change,"  he  goes  on  to  add  :  "I  am  alone  ;  and  for 
earthly  comfort  must  depend  much  on  my  children.  Your 
mother  was  to  me  a  kind,  a  tender,  an  affectionate,  and  a  con- 
descending wife.  She  was  too  a  very  tender  parent  to  our 
children."  Indeed,  she  was  always  at  home  ;  and  it  was  just 
there  that  she  was  most  missed.  Every  thing  reminded  the 
family  of  her,  for  every  thing  went  through  her  hands. 

It  is  difficult,  at  all  times,  to  judge  calmly  of  a  departed 
mother  ;  perhaps  more  so  than  ever,  after  the  lapse  of  four 
and  thirty  years.  Her  education  was  imperfect,  like  that  of 
so  many  of  the  females  of  her  day.  She  was  a  farmer's  daugh- 
ter, born  and  brought  up  in  the  outskirts  of  Farmington, 
where  the  advantages  were  few.  But  she  read  much  during 
her  whole  life  ;  and  her  judgments  of  men  and  things  were 
independent,  well  considered,  and  usually  just.  The  memo- 
ries of  her  children  dwell  on  her  humble  piety,  her  gentleness, 
her  affection.  In  the  general  features  of  her  character,  she 
much  resembled  her  brother,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Norton  of  Clinton ; 
except  that  in  him  those  features  were  more  developed  and 
modified  by  education  and  a  wider  intercourse  with  society. 
The  characteristics  of  humility,  meekness,  kindness,  self- 
denial,  and  a  retiring  disposition,  so  prominent  in  the  brother, 
were  not  less  distinct  and  marked  in  the  sister.* 

The  inscription  on  her  tombstone,  erected  after  the  decease 
of  her  husband,  is  as  follows  : 

MRS.   ELISABETH   ROBINSON, 

Wife  of  the 

REV.  WILLIAM  ROBINSON, 
and  daughter  of 

COL.  IcHABOD   NORTOX, 

died  Dec.  20,  1824, 

JEt.  64. 

Her  spirit  has  returned  in  peace  to  God 

who  gave  it;  while  the  memory  of  her 

mild  virtues  is  embalmed  in  the  hearts 

of  her  friends. 

*  See  Sprague'a  Annals,  U.  pp.  332-336. 


Sacr.  V.]  LAST  DECLINE.  143 

After  the  death  of  his  wife,  the  health  of  Mr.  Kobinson 
continued  to  decline.  In  June  1825,  I  was  with  him  during 
vacation  ;  and  accompanied  him  to  the  meeting  of  his  Associ- 
ation, which  he  attended  for  the  last  time.  He  had  lost  much 
flesh,  and  was  very  feeble.  His  limbs  were  swollen  and  bloated 
from  dropsy;  and  his  breathing  was  often  difficult.  Some- 
times he  was  in  great  distress  from  this  cause,  and  unable  to 
lie  down.  But  there  was  a  tenderness  of  spirit  about  him, 
such  as  I  had  never  seen  before  ;  and  he  opened  his  heart  more 
to  his  children.  His  mind  was  resigned  and  tranquil ;  he  was 
evidently  waiting  the  days  of  his  appointed  time,  till  his  change 
should  come.  Such  too  were  the  spirit  and  tone  of  his  subse- 
quent letters. 

In  the  month  of  July,  his  physician,  Dr.  Barnes,  succeeded 
in  relieving  him  from  the  dropsical  and  asthmatic  symptoms  ; 
so  that  for  a  few  days  he  felt  himself  well,  and  began  to  hope 
for  a  state  of  better  health.*  The  following  extract  from  a 
letter  to  me,  dated  July  25,  1825,  and  supposed  to  be  the  last 
he  ever  wrote,  expresses  strongly  his  feelings  and  hopes  ;  and 
at  the  same  time  his  constant  submission  to  God's  will : 

"  MY  SON, — God  has  remarkably  appeared  for  me,  respect- 
ing my  health.  I  am  now,  as  to  bodily  health,  as  well  as  any 
other  person.  For  two  weeks  I  have  been  perfectly  freed  from 
any  asthmatic  symptom,  and  also  from  any  dropsical.  I 
breathe  as  easily  as  an  infant.  I  have  no  aches  nor  pains 
except  in  my  limbs.  My  legs  have  been  so  distended  with 
water,  that  they  seem  to  have  been  torn  in  pieces. 

"  I  tell  the  Doctor,  that  I  fear  the  symptoms  will  return. 
He  thinks  they  will  not.  God  grant  it  may  be  as  he  hopes." 

That  the  former  symptoms  might  return  was  a  very  natu- 
ral source  of  solicitude.  Nor  was  it  less  obvious,  that  if  in  his 
then  wasted  and  feeble  state,  the  recurrence  of  these,  or  the 
access  of  other  unfavourable  symptoms,  was  to  be  avoided,  it 
could  only  be  hoped  for  in  connection  with  the  utmost  atten- 

*  See  the  letter  of  Dr.  Barnes,  in  Sect.  VI. 


144  MEMOIR.  [PART  IL 

tion  to  regularity  and  moderation  in  diet  and  exercise.  This 
latter  consideration,  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  he 
appears  entirely  to  have  disregarded.  About  the  first  of 
August  he  went  to  Xew  Haven,  (then  a  much  more  fatiguing 
journey  than  now,)  and  returned  on  the  following  day.  The 
weather  was  very  warm.  While  there,  he  was  very  much 
alarmed  and  agitated  by  the  sudden  illness  of  his  only  grand- 
son, who  bore  his  name,  and  in  whom  he  took  strong  interest. 
On  the  third  day  he  went  to  Farmington  and  back  ;  and  on 
the  fourth  drove  as  usual  about  the  town. 

All  this  exertion  and  fatigue,  coupled  with  some  irregu- 
larities of  diet  in  the  too  free  use  of  improper  food,  was  too 
much  for  his  enfeebled  frame  ;  and  on  the  fifth  day  he  found 
himself  quite  ill.  For  a  week,  though  he  had  fever,  and  was 
only  able  to  sit  up  a  part  of  each  day,  the  family  were  not 
particularly  alarmed.  At  the  end  of  that  period,  the  physician 
pronounced  the  case  to  be  very  critical,  and  desired  counsel. 
Dr.  Todd  of  Hartford,  who  had  been  for  many  years  his  con- 
sulting physician,  was  then  sent  for  ;  but  he  too  gave  no  hope. 
On  Saturday,  August  13th,  he  rose  and  dressed  himself  for 
the  last  time  ;  but  with  great  effort.  After  that,  he  was  en- 
tirely confined  to  his  bed. 

The  disease  took  the  form  of  a  diarrhoea  and  lethargy, 
under  which  he  sunk  rapidly.  Throughout  Sunday  he  was 
evidently  becoming  weaker.  In  the  few  intervals  when  the 
lethargic  cloud  was  lifted  from  his  mind,  he  signified  his  trust 
in  God,  and  his  strong  confidence  and  consolation  in  the  doc- 
trines which  he  had  ever  preached.  On  Monday  morning, 
when  the  physician  asked  him  how  he  felt,  he  replied :  "  Mis- 
erably." Soon  after  this  he  exclaimed  :  "  God  be  merciful  to 
.  me  a  sinner  !  "  These  were  his  last  words  ;  and  he  soon  be- 
came unconscious.  His  head  was  burning  with  fever  ;  and 
blisters  applied  to  his  limbs  produced  no  effect.  He  continued 
in  this  state  until  seven  o'clock  P.  M.  when  he  was  released 
from  his  sufferings.  He  died  August  15,  1825,  on  his  birth- 
day, aged  seventy-one  years. 


SECT.  V.]  DEATH  AND   FUNERAL.  145 

The  funeral  was  attended  on  Wednesday.  The  people 
flocked  together,  to  pay  their  last  tribute  of  respect  to  the 
remains  of  their  aged  minister;  and  many  of  his  associates  were 
gathered  together  from  the  neighbouring  towns.  The  Kev. 
Dr.  Porter  of  Farmington  delivered  a  discourse  from  1  Cor. 
xv.  55-57. 

His  tombstone  bears  the  following  inscription  : 

The  just  shall  live 

by  faith.    Heb.  10,  38. 

THE  REV.  WILLIAM  ROBINSON 

was  born  at  Lebanon,  August  15, 1754.    In  1780 

he  was  ordained  Pastor  of  the  Church  in 
Southington  ;  and  continued  in  that  relation 
41  years.     He  died  Aug.  15,  1825,  on  his  birth- 
day, aged  71  years. 
How  mild  to  the  righteous  the  dawn  of  immortality ! 

How  calm  the  sleep  of  death  ! 

Venerable  Father,  thy  head,  silvered  by  age  and  bedewed  with 

the  tears  of  children  and  friends,  is  laid  low  in  the  dust ;  thy 

spirit  has  gone  to  that  land  where  the  wicked  cease  from 

troubling,  and  the  weary  are  at  rest, — there,  we  trust,  to 

receive  the  benediction,  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant." 

May  the  remembrance  of  thy  kind  counsels  and  of  thy 

virtues,  be  a  strong  bond  to  bind  us  with  the  cords  of 

peace,  of  harmony,  and  love.    May  thy  loved  spirit  still 

influence  us  to  seek  that  wisdom,  whose  ways  are  ways 

of  pleasantness,  and  whose  paths  are  peace. 


The  PERSON  of  Mr.  Kobinson  was  tall,  well  formed,  erect, 
and  imposing.  He  had  light  sandy  hair,  grey  eyes,  and  shaggy 
overhanging  eyebrows.  He  related,  that  while  in  college,  he 
was  called  "  Fire-skull,"  and  used  a  leaden  comb  to  darken  the 
colour  of  his  hair  ;  but  the  reddish  hue  was  gone  long  before 
he  was  known  to  any  now  living.  He  measured  six  feet  two 
inches  in  height.  His  head  was  very  large  ;  his  hat  was  larger 
than  that  of  any  person  I  have  known.  When  he  was  between 
10 


146  MEMOIR.  [PART  H. 

forty-five  and  fifty,  he  weighed  two  hundred  and  forty  pounds. 
He  was  nevertheless  alert  and  active  ;  and  usually  rode  about 
the  town,  and  often  further,  on  horseback.  Later  in  life,  as 
we  have  seen,  he  became  more  corpulent  and  less  active,  and 
then  drove  about  in  a  light  one-horse  wagon. 

His  habits  of  life  were  very  regular.  He  rose  very  early ; 
and  of  all  those  in  the  house  he  was  ever  the  first  up.  These 
earliest  hours  were  usually  spent  in  his  study;  and  thus  the  rest 
of  the  day  was  free  for  out-door  employments.  Or  if,  as  was 
not  seldom  the  case,  his  business  called  him  on  a  summer's 
morning  to  Hartford  or  elsewhere,  he  would  be  six  or  eight 
miles  on  his  way  before  sunrise.  He  laid  great  stress  on  this 
habit  of  early  rising  ;  and  regarded  it  as  having  been  at  the 
foundation  of  all  his  success  in  life.  He  was  accustomed  to 
say,  that  through  his  whole  life  he  had  never  found  any  ad- 
vantage from  labour  or  study  at  night;  but  that,  if  he  had  any 
special  labour  to  perform,  or  any  extra  effort  to  make,  his 
experience  satisfied  him,  that  the  better  way  was  to  get  up 
early,  and  work  while  the  mind  was  fresh  and  vigorous.  He 
held,  that  in  this  way  much  more  could  be  accomplished  in  a 
given  time,  and  far  better ;  and  with  much  less  wear  and  tear 
of  the  mental  powers  and  of  the  physical  constitution. — His 
temperament  was  sanguine  ;  and  he  was  by  nature  quick- 
tempered and  even  passionate.  But  these  tendencies  were 
strictly  controlled  by  Christian  principle.  He  inherited  much 
more  of  character  from  his  mother,  than  from  his  father.  The 
latter  had  many  eccentricities  ;  not  a  trace  of  which  was  ever 
manifested  in  the  life  of  the  son. 

His  habits  of  business^  likewise,  were  regular.  His  motto 
was  :  "  A  place  for  every  thing,  and  every  thing  in  its  place." 
Another  rule  of  his  life  was  :  "  Never  put  off  till  to-morrow, 
what  may  as  well  be  done  to-day."  So  it  was  in  his  house- 
hold, in  his  farmyard  and  barns,  and  in  all  his  farming  oper- 
ations. In  winter  he  usually  saw  to,  and  often  took  part  in, 
the  daily  care  of  his  stock  ;  and,  until  his  later  years,  he  per- 
formed himself  many  of  those  minor  offices,  which  farmers 


SECT.  V.]  CHARACTER.  147 

must  do  themselves,  or  be  dependent  for  upon  their  neighbours. 
His  business  was  always  conducted  according  to  a  well  consid- 
ered plan,  with  the  proper  allowance  for  delay  and  bad  wea- 
ther. His  labourers  were  never  left  to  lie  idle.  His  own 
habits  of  industry  were  remarkable.  Nothing  was  neglected  ; 
and  an  appearance  of  order  and  thrift  was  everywhere  manifest 
in  the  house  and  around  it.  He  had  not  an  idle  moment ; 
but  passed  from  his  study  to  his  farm,  and  again  from  his  farm 
to  his  study,  in  such  a  manner,  that  while  he  directed  the 
labours  of  the  field,  the  labours  of  the  study  were  never  neg- 
lected. His  dispatch  in  the  transaction  of  business  was  a 
striking  feature  in  his  character. 

He  was  a  man  of  fixed  habits  and  principles.  Whatever 
he  had  once  fully  examined  and  approved,  he  was  not  apt  to 
give  up  easily.  And  as  his  daily  cares  increased,  and  affairs 
at  home  demanded  continual  supervision,  he  early  became  a 
man  of  home.  In  this  way  he  left  off  his  connection  with  Yale 
College  and  his  visits  to  New  Haven  ;  indeed,  his  children  do 
not  recollect  more  than  two  occasions,  when  he  attended  the 
commencement.  His  father  in  Lebanon  he  visited  regularly  in 
spring  and  autumn,  so  long  as  he  survived.  His  journey  to 
Whitestown  in  1801,  and  a  later  one  up  the  valley  of  the 
Connecticut  river,  have  already  been  mentioned.  His  busi- 
ness often  led  him  to  visit  the  adjacent  towns,  as  also  Hart- 
ford ;  but  he  was  rarely  in  New  Haven.  He  always  made  use 
of  his  own  horse  or  vehicle.  He  is  not  known  ever  to  have 
entered  a  stage  coach  ;  certainly  not  a  steamboat,  if  he  ever 
saw  one. — After  1812,  as  we  have  seen,  when  his  eldest  daugh- 
ter resided  at  Catskill,  he  occasionally  visited  her. 

His  judgment  in  matters  of  public  interest  was  often 
sought  for  ;  and  sometimes  had  great  influence.  On  the  in- 
troduction of  turnpike  roads,-  he  favoured  them  as  a  means  of 
intercommunication ;  and  took  part  in  that  leading  from 
Southington  to  New  Haven.  When  some  of  the  farmers,  who 
often  visited  that  city,  complained  of  the  tolls,  he  proposed  to 
them  that  if  they  would  turn  off  from  the  turnpike  and  follow 


148  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

every  portion  of  the  old  road  that  yet  remained,  he  would 
pledge  himself  to  see,  that  their  tolls  should  be  remitted. 
This  put  an  end  to  such  complaints.  When  the  New  Haven 
and  Northampton  canal  was  planned,  Mr.  Kobinson  was  waited 
upon  by  a  committee,  to  engage  his  influence  in  its  behalf. 
He  declined  to  favour  it ;  believing  that  it  was  not  required, 
and  could  not  be  sustained.  The  result  has  fully  confirmed 
his  judgment. 

In  the  political  struggles  of  the  day,  Mr.  Eobinson  was  a 
strong  federalist,  and  an  opposer  of  Mr.  Jefferson  and  his 
school.  He  did  not  preach  politics  ;  though  not  improbably 
there  were  sometimes  allusions  in  his  sermons  to  passing 
events.  His  influence  among  the  people,  in  connection  with 
that  of  other  leading  men,  may  be  seen  in  the  fact,  that  while 
in  those  years  the  number  of  voters  in  the  place  was  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty,  not  more  than  eight  or  ten  votes  were  usu- 
ally given  on  the  other  side.  When  Dr.  Azel  Backus,  the 
successor  of  Bellamy,  was  arrested  by  the  United  States  mar- 
shal for  his  preaching,  and  taken  to  Hartford,  it  was  ru- 
moured that  Mr.  Kobinson  was  nest  to  receive  the  same 
treatment.  But  nothing  came  of  it. — Perhaps,  among  the 
statesmen  of  that  day,  there  was  no  one  more  unpopular  in 
Connecticut  than  Mr.  Gallatin,  as  being  a  foreigner  by  birth, 
and  the  supposed  tool  of  Mr.  Jefferson.  I  know  not  when 
there  has  been  so  great  a  change  in  my  own  views  in  respect 
to  any  person,  as  between  my  youthful  impressions  of  Mr. 
Gallatin  and  those  which  I  received  when  I  afterwards  became 
acquainted  with  him  in  his  old  .age,  and  met  him  often.  I 
found  him  to  be  a  man  of  exceedingly  clear,  original,  and  in- 
dependent mind,  and  of  stern  integrity  ;  what  he  knew,  he 
had  mostly  thought  out  for  himself,  and  knew  thoroughly. 
He  spoke  of  Mr.  Jefferson  in  terms  of  warm  personal  friend- 
ship, but  could  never  have  been  his  tool.  He  was  a  strong 
admirer  of  John  Calvin,  as  a  man  of  acute  and  powerful  intel- 
lect ;  but  rather  as  a  statesman,  who  had  conferred  great 
benefits  on  Geneva  (Mr.  Gallatin's  native  city),  than  as  a  the- 


*  SECT.  V.]  CHARACTER.  149 

ologian.  He  once  said  to  me,  that  at  one  time  he  began  occa- 
sionally to  read  sceptical  and  infidel  writings  ;  (he  did  not  say 
through  whose  influence  ;)  but  finding  that  his  mind  was  thus 
acquiring  a  sceptical  attitude  in  respect  to  Christianity,  he  threw 
them  aside,  and  had  for  many  years  read  nothing  of  the  kind. 
The  hospitality  of  Mr.  Kobinson  was  well  known.  As  a 
minister,  and  living  upon  a  great  road,  he  kept  of  course  what 
used  to  be  called,  a  "  ministers'  tavern  ;"  that  is,  he  welcomed 
in  hospitality  all  his  clerical  friends  and  others,  who  travelled 
that  way,  and  gave  him  a  passing  call.  He  followed  the  same 
custom  on  his  own  journeys  to  Lebanon  and  elsewhere  ;  and  I 
remember,  as  a  boy,  some  very  pleasant  visits  which  he  thus 
made.  With  his  friends  Dr.  Upson  of  Kensington  and  Dr. 
Chapin  of  Kocky  Hill,  there  was  an  almost  regular  interchange 
of  hospitality.  But  what  he  thus  received  from  others,  was 
amply  made  good  in  the  entertainment  of  guests  at  his  own 
house.  Dr.  Sprague  speaks  of  "  the  whole-souled  hospitality  " 
proffered  to  his  minister  and  himself  on  his  way  to  college  in 
1811.*  It  was  not  unusual  for  ministers  of  his  standing  and 
acquaintance,  who  lived  further  north,  on  their  way  to  the 
commencement  at  New  Haven,  to  pass  down  by  that  road,  and 
stop  to  dine  with  him  or  spend  the  night.  I  thus  remember 
the  countenances  of  many  venerable  .men,  whom  I  never  saw 
elsewhere  ;  such  as  the  Rev.  Enoch  Hale  of  Easthampton, 
Mass,  his  college  classmate  ;  Dr.  Parsons  of  Amherst,  Dr.  Ly- 
man  of  Hatfield,  and  others.  I  remember,  also,  at  different 
times,  like  visits  from  Dr.  Hart  of  Preston,  Dr.  Cyprian  Strong 
of  Chatham,  Dr.  Nott  %of  Franklin,  Dr.  Bassett  of  Hebron  ; 
and  many  others.  One  pleasant  reminiscence  of  the  like  kind 
connects  itself  with  President  Dwight.  He  preached  the  ser- 
mon at  the  ordination  of  the  Rev.  Noah  Porter  in  Farming- 
ton,  November  5, 1806,  more  than  fifty  years  ago.  My  father 
and  mother  were  present,  and  returned  home  the  same  even- 
ing. The  next  day  Dr.  Dwight  and  Prof.  Day  (his  successor), 
returning  in  their  chaise  to  New  Haven,  stopped  at  my  father's 

*  Sprague's  Annals,  II.  p.  136. 


150  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

house  to  dine.  There  had  been  no  notice  of  their  coming ; 
and  my  good  mother  was  greatly  troubled,  as  she  had  prepared 
only  an  ordinary  family  dinner  ;  but  the  bland  courtesy  of  the 
President  soon  reassured  her.  The  interview  seemed  to  be  a 
pleasant  one  to  all.  The  President,  I  recollect,  putting  his 
hand  on  my  head,  said  to  my  father,  "  I  suppose,  (Sir,  you  in- 
tend to  send  him  to  us  by  and  by."  The  latter  had  no  such 
intention,  but  gave  an  evasive  reply. 

But  if  these  hospitalities  were  mainly  pleasant,  they  some- 
times had  also  an  amusing  side.  It  was  not  seldom  that  per- 
sons came,  introducing  themselves  as  ministers,  of  whom  the 
family  had  never  heard.  If  less  welcome,  they  were  neverthe- 
less not  less  well  received.  In  one  instance,  two  days  before 
the  annual  thanksgiving,  a  person  called,  as  a  preacher,  travel- 
ling on  horseback,  but  utterly  unknown  to  my  father.  He 
was  welcomed  to  good  quarters  ;  and  it  was  naturally  sup- 
posed, that  he  would  proceed  on  his  journey  the  next  morning. 
But  he  gave  no  sign  of  departure.  On  the  morning  of  thanks- 
giving day,  my  father  felt  that  ministerial  courtesy  required 
of  him  to  invite  the  stranger  to  preach.  He  consented,  and 
delivered  a  rambling  discourse.  Afterwards  came  the  thanks- 
giving dinner  ;  at  which  he  begged  for  his  favourite  piece,  the 
'  shoulder '  of  the  turkey  ;  though  this  seemed  to  be  to  him 
but  one  choice  bit  among  many.  Dinner  being  ended,  he 
speedily  called  for  his  horse  and  went  his  way.  We  never 
heard  of  him  again ;  but  his  '  shoulder'  of  turkey  became  pro- 
verbial among  us  children. — At  another  time  a  young  preacher 
called,  whom  I  met  again  after  some  years.  He  came  between 
ten  and  eleven  o'clock  in  the  forenoon,  said  he  had  had  no 
breakfast,  and  was  very  faint.  My  father  was  away  ;  but  my 
mother,  at  liis  request,  cared  for  his  wants  and  those  of  his 
horse.  After  a  good  breakfast,  his  faintness  disappeared  ; 
and,  his  horse  being  rested  and  fed,  he  went  on  his  way  re- 
joicing. He  had  probably  made  an  early  start,  expecting  to 
reach  the  house  about  breakfast  time,  but  had  been  disap- 
pointed. 


SECT.  V.]  CHARACTER. 

As  the  PASTOR  of  an  extensive,  though  not  wealthy  parish, 
Mr.  Robinson  took  great  interest  in  the  common  schools,  and 
generally  in  the  education  of  the  young.  Like  most  pastors 
in  Connecticut  in  his  day,  he  was  annually  appointed  one  of 
the  school  visitors.  As  such,  he  usually  conducted  the  exam- 
ination of  the  teachers;  and  regularly  visited  each  school  twice 
in  every  season.  He  laid  great  stress  upon  having  the  West- 
minster catechism  taught  in  the  schools  ;  and  once  a  year,  for 
a  long  time,  the  children  of  all  the  schools  were  brought  to- 
gether in  the  meeting-house,  where  the  pastor  publicly  exam- 
ined them  in  the  catechism.  During  his  ministry  v several 
young  men  from  his  parish  graduated  at  Yale  College  ;  but  it 
does  not  appear  that  they  adopted  this  course  through  any  in- 
fluence exerted  on  his  part.  Indeed,  he  counselled  his  own 
sons  not  to  go  to  college  ;  expressing  the  opinion,  that  such 
a  course  of  education  was  important  only  for  those,  who  were 
looking  forward  to  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel.  Yet  to  his 
three  sons,  who  preferred  to  take  a  college  course,  he  never  hes- 
itated to  furnish  the  means. 

As  a  pastor,  too,  his  visits  among  his  people  were  fre- 
quent ;  and  as  he  rode  much  about  the  town,  it  sometimes 
happened,  that  those  who  lived  in  the  outskirts  saw  their  pas- 
tor offcener  in  their  houses  than  those  who  dwelt  nearer.  He 
was  very  observant  of  his  congregation  ;  knew  them  all  by 
sight ;  and  saw  whether  they  were  present  in  the  house  of  God 
on  the  Sabbath.  If  any  one  was  absent,  it  used  to  be  said, 
(as  already  noted,)  that  Mr.  Robinson  always  called  on  Mon- 
day, to  inquire  if  the  person  was  ill.  The  late  Judge  Lowrey 
of  Southington,  who  knew  Mr.  Robinson  only  in  the  five  or 
six  last  years  of  his  life,  but  whose  opportunities  for  learning 
the  estimation  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  people,  were  of  the 
very  best  kind,  thus  writes  :  "  I  have  always  understood,  that 
Mr.  Robinson  was  very  kind  to  the  poor,  to  the  sick,  and  to 
those  in  affliction  ;  and  while  he  exacted  what  was  his  due 
from  those  who  were  able  to  pay,  I  believe  the  poor  always 
considered  him  their  friend,  and  had  reason  to  bless  him." 


152  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

As  a  pastor,  Mr.  Kobinson  also  took  a  deep  interest  in  the 
missionary  work  ;  and  faithfully  urged  its  claims  upon  his 
people.  But  he  took  no  active  public  part  in  conducting  the 
work.  The  founders  of  the  Connecticut  Missionary  Society,  and 
also  of  the  American  Board,  were  among  his  personal  friends  ; 
and  he  aided  them  in  every  way,  except  as  an  officer  of  a  public 
body.  The  Connecticut  Evangelical  Magazine,  which  was 
first  established  in  aid  of  the  missionary  cause,  he  circulated 
extensively  among  his  people  ;  as  he  later  likewise  circulated 
the  Missionary  Herald.  Besides  his  ordinary  contributions 
to  this  cause,  he  made  at  one  time  a  donation  of  one  thousand 
dollars  to, the  American  Board. 

The  PKEAOHING  of  Mr.  Kobinson  was  adapted,  perhaps, 
rather  to  instruct,  convince,  and  edify,  than  to  awaken  convic- 
tion of  sin.  He  dwelt  much  upon  the  great  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel,  especially  the  absolute  sovereignty  and  infinite  holi- 
ness of  God  ;  and  felt,  in  so  doing,  that  he  was  following 
apostolic  example.  He  once  remarked  :  "  It  was  the  prac- 
tice of  the  apostles  to  establish  important  truths  ;  and  then 
enforce  duty  by  inference  or  implication/' — For  two  or  three 
of  the  early  years  of  his  ministry,  his  sermons  were  written  out 
in  full ;  but  he  afterwards  wrote  down  only  a  skeleton  of  four 
or  eight  octavo  pages,  laid  into  the  Bible  which  he  held  in  his 
hand.  This  gave  him  opportunity  to  dwell  more  or  less  on 
particular  points  ;  and  imparted  to  the  whole  an  air  of  extem- 
poraneous preaching.  But  his  discourses  were  all  fully  thought 
out ;  and  the  leaves  of  his  Bible  were  folded  down  at  all  his 
references  ;  so  that  he  could  turn  to  them  at  once  and  without 
hesitation. 

His  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  Bible,  and  especially 
with  the  New  Testament,  was  remarkable  ;  though  he  was  not 
a  biblical  scholar  after  the  present  fashion.  Of  Hebrew  he 
knew  nothing  ;  and  of  Greek  his  knowledge  was  neither  philo- 
logical nor  exegetical.  But  he  was  accustomed  from  early  life 
to  peruse  his  Greek  Testament ;  and  his  rule  was,  never  to  let 
a  day  pass  without  thus  reading  one  or  more  chapters.  The 


SECT.  V.]  CHARACTER. 

only  regular  commentary  which  he  possessed,  was  Poole's  An- 
notations ;  and  of  this  he  made  little  use. 

His  general  appearance  and  manner  in  the  pulpit,  while 
strikingly  natural  and  unconstrained,  were  yet  full  of  dignity 
and  even  of  majesty.  To  this  his  tall  commanding  figure, 
and  the  expression  of  his  eyes  and  features,  greatly  contributed. 
He  apparently  made  no  use  of  his  few  notes  while  preaching  ; 
so  that,  except  when  reading  from  his  Bible,  his  eyes  seemed 
to  be  fixed  constantly  upon  his  hearers.  His  manner  and  ap- 
pearance were  such  as  to  secure,  in  an  uncommon  degree,  the 
attention  of  his  audience.*  If  his  sermons  were  doctrinal, 
there  was  often  great  tenderness  and  pathos  in  the  application. 
He  was  himself  not  seldom  affected  even  to  tears,  and  his 
voice  then  faltered  with  emotion. 

Of  the  influence  and  effect  of  his  preaching,  in  the  growth 
of  his  church,  something  has  been  already  said.  I  may  cite 
here  the  language  of  Judge  Lowrey,  who  became  a  member 
of  the  church  several  years  after  Mr.  Bobinson's  decease  : 
"He  began  early  to  preach  much  on  devotional  subjects ;  and 
continued  that  practice  more,  probably,  than  most  ministers, 
throughout  his  life.  The  consequence  was,  that  the  members 
of  his  society  were  better  informed  in  the  fundamental  doc- 
trines of  our  religion,  than  the  members  of  most  churches  at 
the  present  day.  And  if  his.  hearers  were  not  all  pleased,  they 
were  instructed  in  those  great  principles,  which  furnished  them 
with  materials  for  profitable  reflection  through  life.  I  am 
not,  perhaps,  a  competent  judge  ;  but  I  do  not  believe  there 
was  any  congregation,  in  this  part  of  the  country,  so  well  in- 
structed in  the  fundamental  truths  of  Christianity,  as  were  the 
members  of  the  congregation  to  whom  Mr.  Kobinson  preached. 
Nor  do  I  believe  there  was  any  other  congregation  in  this 
vicinity,  who  were  better  judges  of  correct  preaching." 

It  is  very  possible,  that  while  the  great  cardinal  doctrines 
of  the  Gospel  were  thus  fully  dwelt  upon,  there  might  be 

*  The  preceding  expressions  in  this  paragraph  are  mainly  quoted  from  a  letter 
of  the  late  Prof.  Ethan  A.  Andrews  LL.  D.  of  New  Britain. 


154  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

sometimes  too  little  of  encouragement  held  out  to  that  class  of 
minds,  which  are  constitutionally  humble,  timid,  self  distrust- 
ful. The  enforcement  of  the  absolute  sovereignty  and  infinite 
holiness  of  God,  and  of  the  utter  helplessness  and  unwor- 
thiness  of  man,  did  not  in  itself  tend  to  bring  such  minds  nearer 
to  God  ;  they  needed  to  be  urged  forward  by  representations  of 
the  love  and  mercy  of  God  in  Christ.  It  was  for  this  reason, 
perhaps,  that  not  a  few  persons  sat  for  many  years  under  the 
preaching  of  Mr;  Robinson,  who  did  not  come  forward  to  pro- 
fess their  faith  in  Christ  until  the  last  years  of  his  ministry, 
or  even  until  they  came  under  the  ministry  of  his  successor. 

One  trait  in  his  life  as  a  pastor  I  have  ever  looked  back 
upon  with  interest.  I  mean  the  encouragement  he  gave  to 
the  deacons  and  other  leading  men  of  the  church  and  society 
to  vis.it  him,  and  discuss  _  topics  of  theology,  both  theoretic 
and  practical.  Of  these  discussions  I  retain,  of  course,  no 
very  definite  recollection  ;  but  I  have  the  strong  impression, 
that  some  of  them  would  be  regarded,  at  the  present  day,  as 
doing  no  discredit  to  an  examination  for  license.  I  have  thus 
sometimes  been  led  to  compare  the  amount  of  doctrinal  knowl- 
edge often  acquired  by  farmers  and  mechanics  in  the  country, 
with  that  of  professional  and  other  business  men  in  our  large 
cities.  My  impression  is,  that  the  advantage  lies  on  the  side 
of  the  former  ;  that  they  have  more  time  and  taste  for  reflec- 
tion, and  exhibit  more  patient  and  persevering  thought;  while 
the  latter  are  apt  to  apply  the  decision  and  dispatch  of  daily 
business  habits  to  their  own  moral  and  religious  training. 

As  a  THEOLOGIAN  the  views  and  reasonings  of  Mr.  Robin- 
son were  clear,  systematic,  and  decided.  His  mind  was  re- 
remarkably  logical,  and  also  practical ;  nor  did  he  hesitate  to 
carry  out  his  principles  to  all  their  legitimate  consequences. 
But  his  theology  was  eminently  scriptural ;  and  one  appro- 
priate proof-text  outweighed  with  him  a  whole  cart-load  of 
metaphysical  reasoning.  His  views  and  system  rested  alto- 
gether on  Scripture  ;  and  were  wrought  out  mainly  by  his  own 
independent  processes  of  thought  and  reasoning,  and  not  ac- 


SECT.  V.]  CHARACTER.  155 

quired  from  reading  or  instruction.  It  has  already  been 
remarked,  that  in  his  system  he  perhaps  received  stronger 
influences  from  Bellamy,  than  from  any  other  source.*  All  the 
works  of  that  writer  were  to  be  found  in  his  library  ;  as  also  the 
great  treatises  of  Edwards,  at  first  in  their  separate  form,  and 
then  as  collected  by  Dr.  Austin.  He  had  also  the  works  and 
treatises  of  his  cotemporaries,  Hopkins,  West,  Smalley,  Strong, 
Dwight,  and  others  ;  but  besides  these  and  Ridgley's  Body  of 
Divinity,  there  was  little  of  systematic  theology  in  his  library. 
Not  a  work  nor  a  treatise  of  Calvin  did  it  contain  until  1816, 
when  he  became  a  subscriber  to  Allen's  translation  of  the  In- 
stitutes, published  at  New  Haven  and  Philadelphia.  His 
intellectual  characteristics  are  well  described  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Chapin,  for  many  years  his  most  intimate  friend,  while  com- 
paring him  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Smalley,  as  related  in  the  letter 
of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Robbins  in  the  next  Section. 

In  his  PERSONAL  ADDRESS,  Mr.  Robinson  was  kind,  affable, 
and  dignified.  In  his  last  years  his  appearance  was  exceed- 
ingly venerable.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  feelings  and  of 
great  tenderness,  which  he  could  not  always  control.  When 
he  examined  his  children  in  the  catechism  on  Sunday  after- 
noon, his  instructions  and  exhortations  seldom  ended  without 
tears.  He  had  himself  been  greatly  afflicted,  and  he  knew 
how  to  sympathise  with  others  in  affliction.  In  all  his  inter- 
course with  others  there  was  the  demeanour  of  a  gentleman  ; 
and  he  ever  exhibited  a  courtesy  and  propriety  of  manner, 
which  rarely  failed  to  secure  respect  and  confidence. 

Yet  with  all  this  he  was  singularly  and  almost  morbidly 
retiring  and  unostentatious.  He  had  a  shyness  among  stran- 
gers, a  shrinking  from  forming  new  acquaintances,  and  a  re- 
pugnance to  put  himself  before  the  public,  which  were  con- 
stitutional, and  which  he  never  overcame.  Hence  his  reluc- 
tance to  take  part  in  conducting  societies  and  public  bodies. 
Although  living  in  habits  of  friendly  intercourse,  more  or  less, 
with  the  leading  clergymen  and  laymen  of  his  own  State,  and 

*  See  p.  75,  above. 


156  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

many  in  Massachusetts,  some  of  whom  were  authors  of  note, 
yet  it  is  not  knoion  that  a  single  line  from  his  pen  was  ever 
printed  during  his  lifetime.  Nor  would  he  ever  permit  his 
likeness  to  be  taken. 

It  was  just  this  shrinking  nature,  this  reluctance  to  put 
forth  his  power  openly,  that  weighed  him  clown  through  life. 
Had  he  conquered  this  weakness  ;  had  he  in  his  retired  parish, 
like  Bellamy  in  his  Bethlern,  given  all  his  powers  to  theology 
and  preaching  ;  there  was  no  reason  why  he  might  not,  like 
Bellamy,  have  become  one  of  the  giants  of  the  day  in  his 
seclusion  ;  or  have  been  called,  like  Dwight,  to  a  wider  sphere 
of  influence  and  usefulness  ;  and  thus  have  conferred  lasting 
benefits  upon  the  church  at  large.  Or,  had  he  at  first  chosen 
a  different  profession,  and  given  himself  to  business  as  a  jurist 
or  a  statesman,  he  might  well  have  become  eminent  as  a  bene- 
factor to  the  State  and  nation.  As  it  was,  his  efforts  and  his 
influence  were  mainly  circumscribed  within  the  narrow  boun- 
daries of  his  own  parish  ;  and  while  he  never  omitted  to  fulfil 
all  his  duties  towards  his  people,  yet  his  life  in  other  respects 
was  occupied  in  private  and  material  pursuits.  Herein  lay 
the  great  mistake  of  his  life.  In  this  way  the  loss  fell,  not 
upon  his  people,  but  heavily  upon  himself. 

More  than  three  and  thirty  years,  a  third  part  of  a  century, 
have  now  passed  away  since  his  decease  ;  and  the  shadows  of 
time  are  constantly  deepening  around  his  memory.  His  sur- 
viving children  love  to  look  back  and  recall  his  kindness  and 
indulgence  to  themselves  ;  his  tender  instructions  ;  his  pleasant 
intercourse  with  his  family  and  friends  ;  his  liberality  towards 
all  benevolent  objects,  quite  in  advance  of  the  times  ;  his  kind- 
ness- and  attention  to  the  poor  of  his  flock,  who  looked  up  to 
him  as  a  guide,  helper,  and  friend.  They  love  to  behold  him, 
in  his  last  days,  in  the  attitude  described  by  himself  in  one  of 
his  latest  letters  :  /  am  waiting  and  ivill  wait  my  ap- 
pointed time.  Though  he  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  him  ; 
because  he  is  well  worthy  to  be  trusted ! 

Popular  belief,  of  course,  regarded  Mr.  Eobinion  as  having 


SECT.  V.]  CHARACTER.  157 

accumulated  an  immense  estate.  It  may  subserve  the  cause 
of  truth,  even  at  this  late  day,  to  state,  that  the  whole  property 
left  by  him  at  his  decease,  real  and  personal  of  every  kind, 
was  barely  equal  to  a  capital,  which,  at  the  usual  rate  of  inter- 
est, would  have  yielded  a  yearly  income  of  fifteen  hundred 
dollars. 

His  last  Will  was  very  brief ;  and  the  estate  was  settled 
under  it  by  private  agreement  among  the  heirs,  without  any 
action  of  the  Court  of  Probate. 


158  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 


SECTION   VI. 

LETTERS  ON  THE  CHARACTER  OF  MR.  ROBINSON. 

THE  letters  contained  in  this  Section  are  from  persons  who 
were  best  acquainted  with  Mr.  Robinson  ;  who  had  the  best 
opportunities  of  knowing  him.  as  a  man  and  as  a  minister  ; 
and  who  were  thus  best  able  to  form  and  express  a  right  esti- 
mate of  his  character.  They  are  divided  into  four  classes. 

I.  Three  letiers  from  members  of  the  church  and  congre- 
gation in   Southington.     The  late  Rev.  FOSDICK  HARRISON 
was  at  one  time  a  respected  mechanic  in  Southington  ;  where  he 
joined  the  church  February  23,  1806.     He  afterwards  studied 
theology ;   first,  with  the  Rev.  Israel  B.  Woodward  of  Wol- 
cott  ;  and  after  his  death  in  1810,  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Porter 
of  Washington,  Conn,  afterwards  Professor  at  Andover.     He 
was  for  many  years  pastor  of  the  church  in  Bethlem,  Conn, 
and  recently  ministered  to  the  church  at  Bridgewater  in  New 
Milford,  Conn.     He  died  suddenly,  February  9,  1858,  aged 
seventy-six  years. — Dr.  JULIUS  S.  BARNES  graduated  at  Yale 
College  in  1815,  and  settled  in  Southington  ;  where  he  became 
Mr.  Robinson's  family  physician.     He  united  with  the  church 
in  1834. — The  late  ROMEO  LOWREY,  Esq.  graduated  at  Yale 
in  1818  ;  settled  as  a  lawyer  in  Southington  ;  and  was  for  a 
time  a  judge  of  the  County  Court,  and  also  a  member  of  the 
Senate  of  Connecticut.     He  joined  the  church  in  1834  ;  and 
died  January  30,  1856. 

II.  Two  letters  from  Mr.  Robinson's  successors  in  the  minis- 
try; the  REV.  DAVID  L.  OGDEN,  and  the  REV.ELISHA  C.  JONES. 
The  latter  had  no  personal  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Robinson. 

III.  Two  letters  from  members  of  Hartford  South  Asso- 
ciation, to  which  Mr.  Robinson  belonged;  viz.  the  REV.  ROYAL 


SECT  VI.]  LETTERS.— REV.  MR.  HARRISON.  159 

EOBBINS  of  Kensington,  and  the  Kev.  JOAB  BRACE,  D.  D.  of 
Newington,  now  residing  in  Pittsfield,  Mass. 

IV.  Two  letters  from  other  clergymen,  viz.  the  REV.  NOAH 
POUTER  D.  D.  of  Farmington  ;  and  the  REV.  HEMAN  HUM- 
PHREY D.  D.  of  Pittsfield,  Mass,  formerly  President  of  Am- 
herst  college.* 

I.  LETTERS  FROM  MEMBERS  OF  THE  CHURCH  AND  CONGRE- 
GATION IN  SOUTHINGTON. 

1.  From  the  late  REV.  FOSDICK  HARRISON,  of  Bridgewater. 

BRIDGEWATER,  Dec.  20th,  1854. 

REV.  AND  DEAR  SIR, — I  am  gratified  to  learn  that  you 
think  of  doing  something  to  perpetuate  the  memory  and  the 
virtues  of  your  honoured  and  beloved  father.  Gladly  would 
I  contribute  my  mite  to  the  undertaking. 

If  I  fail  of  suggesting  any  thing  worthy  of  notice,  it  will  not 
be  from  want  of  a  disposition,  certainly  not  from  want  of  a 
sense  of  obligation.  If  I  am,  or  have  been,  any  thing  more 
than  I  appeared,  or  promised  to  be,  when  I  first  met  your 
father  in  my  youth,  I  attribute  it  more  to  his  instrumentality, 
than  to  that  of  any  other  man.  From  my  earliest  acquaint- 
ance, I  found  him  to  be  a  kind  friend,  a  wise  counsellor,  and 
an  efficient  helper.  While  living  near  him,  I  was  often  in 
circumstances  in  which  I  was  constrained  to  seek  his  advice 
and  his  aid.  I  do  not  recollect  that  I  ever  sought  in  vain  ; 
and  I  have  yet  to  learn  that  any  worthy  applicant  was  ever- 
sent  empty  away. 

When  agitating  the  subject  in  regard  to  a  change  in  my 
course  of  life,  I  saw  many  obstacles  in  my  way,  that  appeared 
almost  insurmountable.  After  much  anxious  deliberation, 
and,  I  trust,  earnest  prayer  for  direction,  I  decided  to  seek  a 
private  interview  with  Mr.  Robinson,  and  lay  the  whole  sub- 

*  The  letters  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jones,  and  from  Drs.  Porter  and  Humphrey, 
were  communicated  by  me  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Sprague  for  his  Annals,  rnd  are 
there  printed,  VoL  II.  pp.  133-136. 


MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

ject  before  him.  I  did  it  with  the  full  purpose,  that  so  far  as 
I  could  gain  his  opinion,  it  should  settle  the  question  in  my 
own  mind,  and  decide  my  future  course.  He  concluded  to 
take  the  subject  into  consideration  ;  and  before  I  saw  him 
again,  had  decided  in  favour  of  my  proposed  change,  and  had 
made  some  arrangements  for  the  prosecution  of  my  object. 

One  of  his  deacons,  (Deac.  Button,)  after  hearing  of  my 
plan,  said  :  "  If  Mr.  Kobinson  approves  of  your  course,  you 
may  go  forward  with  confidence."  I  mention  this,  as  showing 
the  opinion  of  one  who  knew  him  better  than  myself. 

During  my  preparatory  studies,  I  sometimes  met  with  op- 
position and  discouragement,  which  to  me  was  peculiarly  de- 
pressing. I  often  went  to  him  with  my  troubles ;  and  always 
came  away  v/ith  renewed  courage,  and  a  lighter  heart. 

A  letter  which  Mr.  Robinson  wrote  to  Dr.  Porter  of  Wash- 
ington (afterwards  of  Andover),  in  iny  behalf,  I  believe  was 
the  means  of  securing  the  friendship,  sympathy,  and  assistance 
of  that  great  and  good  man,  to  an  extent  which  I  might  other- 
wise not  have  enjoyed.  Dr.  Porter  had  a  high  regard  for  Mr. 
Eobinson.  He  once  remarked  to  this  effect,  in  reply  to  some- 
thing I  had  said  about  him  :  "  I  also  have  some  acquaintance 
with  Mr.  Eobinson,  having  sat  for  a  time  under  his  ministry  ; 
and  I  regard  him  as  possessing  native  powers  of  mind  superior 
to  those  of  any  other  minister  in  Connecticut."  He  added 
something  further,  like  this  :  "  Had  the  energies  of  his  power- 
ful mind  been  exclusively  devoted  to  the  ministry,  he  would 
have  taken  a  higher  stand  than  any  other." 

You  are  aware  that  he  was  envied  by  some,  and  complained 
of  by  others,  for  having  too  much  of  this  world's  goods  to  oc- 
cupy his  time  and  thought.  But  it  has  not  yet  been  proved, 
that  with  all  his  worldly  care  and  prosperity,  he  did  not  spend 
more  time  in  his  study,  than  many  ministers  who  have  little 
else  to  do.  For  two  successive  winters,  I  boarded  a  little 
north  of  his  dwelling,  in  sight  of  his  study  window,  and  in  a 
family  famed  for  early  rising.  We  were  often  up  by  four 
o'clock,  and  usually  had  our  breakfast  before  daylight.  I  do 


SECT.  VI.]  LETTERS.— REV.  MR.  HARRISON. 

not  recollect  ever  rising  so  early  as  not  to  see  a  light  from  that 
study  window.  I  think  he  was  remarkably  economical  of 
time,  systematic  in  all  his  movements,  and  punctual  in  all  his 
engagements.  These  traits  he  enjoined  upon  others  with  whom 
he  had  intercourse,  and  these  were  among  the  means  of  his 
prosperity.  The  influence  he  thus  exerted,  and  the  example 
he  exhibited,  it  was  admitted  by  many,  contributed  largely  to 
the  outward  and  constantly  increasing  prosperity  of  his  people. 
When  he  settled  among  them,  as  I  was  told  by  some  of  the 
aged  men,  they  were  proverbial  for  their  poverty.  "  Poor  as 
Pant-horn/'  (the  earliest  name  of  the  place,)  was  an  expression 
used  to  denote  abject  poverty.  It  was  even  doubted  whether 
they  could  sustain  a  minister.  To  help  supply  the  deficiency, 
Mr.  Robinson  was  induced  to  take  charge  of  a  small  farm. 
The  necessity  of  this  measure,  and  the  benefit  derived  from  it, 
I  suppose,  ultimately  led  him  where,  at  the  time,  he  did  not 
intend  nor  expect  to  go. 

In  all  Mr.  Robinson's  intercourse  with  his  fellow-men, 
there  was  a  gentlemanly  dignity  and  propriety  of  demeanour, 
which  could  rarely  fail  to  secure  the  respect  and  veneration  of 
alljwho  saw  him.  Although  he  was  ever  affable,  pleasant, 
and  instructive  in  his  conversation,  I  think  I  never  saw  the 
man,  for  whom  I  was  constrained  to  feel  such  profound  rever- 
ence,  as  I  ever  felt  for  him. 

He  was  a  son  of  consolation  to  the  afflicted.  Having  been 
himself  a  "man  of  sorrows,"  he  knew  how  to  bear  a  part  in 
the  woes  of  others.  I  have  witnessed  and  experienced  the 
outgushing  of  his  sympathy  in  times  of  deep  affliction. 

I  was  often  much  interested  iu  his  public  performances. 
His  prayers  were  original,  theological,  instructive,  and  devo- 
tional, abounding  in  thanksgiving.  In  preaching,  there  was  a 
commanding  dignity  in  his  manner,  a  native  eloquence,  pecu- 
liarly his  own. 

He  appeared  to  have  a  more  familiar  acquaintance  with 
the  Bible,  than  any  other  preacher  I  have  known.     I  think  he 
studied  it,  in  its  original  Greek  at  least,  more  than  most  men 
11 


162  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

of  his  age.     He  once  said  to  me  :   "  I  let  no  day  pass  without 
reading  one  or  more  chapters  from  the  Greek  Testament." 

He  ordinarily  delivered  his  sermons  with  his  Bible  in  his 
hand ;  and  in  the  proof  and  illustration  of  important  truths,  he 
read  from  it  abundantly,  turning  from  one  passage  to  another, 
with  a  readiness  and  rapidity,  that  produced  no  interruptions 
in  the  progress  of  his  discourse. 

In  his  preaching,  he  dwelt  much  upon  the  distinguishing 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel,  particularly  the  character  and  govern- 
ment of  God.  On  these  points,  he  might  be  regarded  by  some 
as  rigidly  orthodox.  He  once  remarked,  that  when  he  com- 
menced reading  Dr.  Beecher's  Sermons  on  the  Divine  Govern- 
ment, he  was  much  gratified  in  believing  we  had  one  man  in 
Litchfield  County,  who  was  orthodox  on  that  subject ;  but  was 
disappointed  as  he  approached  the  close,  to  find  that  the  -Doc- 
tor "  came  so  near  giving  up  the  government  of  God  into  the 
hands  of  the  sinner." 

In  dwelling  so  much  upon  the  doctrines,  he  felt  that  he 
was  following  apostolic  example.  He  once  remarked  :  "  It  was 
their  practice  to  establish  important  truths,  and  enforce  duty 
by  inference  or  implication." 

Mr.  Robinson  was  characterized  by  remarkable  clearness  of 
mind  ;  a  capability  of  readily  grasping  a  great  subject,  and 
looking  through  it  in  all  its  parts.  Blessed  with  a  retentive 
memory,  and  reading  much,  he  possessed  an  extensive  knowl- 
edge of  men  and  things. 

'  If  I  have  not  said  enough  to  evince  my  high  regard  for 
the  man,  allow  me  to  add,  that  the  name  of  my  only  son  is 
William  Robinson. 

December  2Qt7i,  1854. 

In  reference  to  the  part  of  my  preceding  letter  that  needs 
explanation,  permit  me  to  indulge  my  story-telling  propensity. 

When  I  was  first  in  Southington,  I  became  partially  ac- 
quainted with  a  certain  J.  C.  L.  I  learned  that,  some  years 
before  that  time,  by  the  efforts  of  a  teacher  in  the  district 
school,  he  had  been  suddenly  transformed  from  a  turbulent, 


SECT.  VI.]  LETTERS.— REV.  MR.  HARRISON.  163 

ungoverned  wretch,  to  a  decent,  peaceable,   and  respectable 
youth,  and  was  promising  fair  to  make  a  useful  man.     Who 
the  successful  teacher  was,  I  was  not  informed.     On  the  even- 
ing of  my  arrival  at  Mr.  Porter's  in  Washington,  learning  that 
I  had  resided  in  Southington,  he  asked,  if  I  knew  J.  C.  L. 
and  what  kind  of  man  he  was  ?     He  then  remarked,  that 
when  he,  with  others,  was  pursuing  the  study  of  theology  with 
Dr.  Smalley,  Mr.  Timothy  Lewis  came  there  from  Southing- 
ton,  to  obtain  one  of  the  students  to  take  charge  of  their  cen- 
tral school.     WTith  some  reluctance  Mr.  Porter  consented  to 
go  with  him.     When  well  on  their  way  toward  Southington, 
Mr.  Lewis  began  to  open  his  budget,  stating  that  they  had  one 
refractory  scholar  in  the  school,  by  whom  it  had  been  repeatedly 
broken  up  ;  and  that  one  teacher  had  recently  left.     Mr.  Por- 
ter replied,  that  he  thought  his  communication  rather  unsea- 
sonable.    Had  he  known  these  facts  earlier,  he  should  not 
have  been  there.     Being  so  far  on  his  way,  however,  he  com- 
cluded  to  go  on.     By  Mr.  Porter's  judicious   and  energetic 
management,  (the  details  of  which  were  interesting,)  the  boy 
and  his  parents,  who  upheld  him,  were  all  in  a  short  time 
subdued,  and  he  became  one  of  the  most  docile  scholars  in  the 
school  during  the  remainder  of  the  term.    It  was  while  teach- 
ing  this   school,  that  Mr.  Porter  listened   to   your  father's 
preaching.     You  can  perceive  that  it  was  to  him  an  interest- 
ing  period.     Recently  from  college,  pursuing  the   study  of 
theology,  and  then  the  change  from  Dr.  Smalley  to  Mr.  Rob- 
inson, would  all  conspire  to  render  him  an  interested  and  in- 
telligent hearer.* 

One  remark  in  your  last  letter  reminds  me  of  another  fact, 
which  may  not  be  without  interest.  I  mentioned  that  I  often 
resorted  to  your  father  in  time  of  discouragement.  I  have 
sometimes  wondered  that  his  patience  was  not  exhausted. 
At  one  time  a  certain  minister  undertook  to  convince  me, 

*  Mr.  Porter  graduated  at  Dartmouth  College  in  1792.  After  teaching  school 
for  a  few  months  in  Washington,  Conn,  he  pursued  the  study  of  theology  with  Dr. 
Smalley ;  and  was  licensed  to  preach  in  179i.  His  residence  in  Southinglon  was 
apparently  during  the  winter  of  1793-4.  Sprague's  Annals,  II.  p.  351. 


164  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

that  I  could  not  hope  to  succeed  without  a  college  education. 
After  exhausting  his  own  resources,  which  were  rather  limited, 
he  added,  "  he  did  not  believe  Dr.  Dvvight  would  approve  of 
my  course."  This  was  a  point  on  which  I  was  peculiarly  sen- 
sitive and  easily  depressed. 

I  called  on  Mr.  Robinson  soon,  and  under  the  pressure  of 
despondency,  related  what  had  been  said.  I  remember  the 
place  where  he  sat,  the  expression  of  his  countenance,  and  the 
earnest  tones  of  his  voice,  when,  in  addition  to  the  wise  objec- 
tions of  my  opponent,  which  he,  Mr.  Kobinson,  seemed  not 
much  to  regard,  I  came  to  what  was  said  of  Dr.  Dvvight. 
His  instant  reply  was,  "  What  business  had  he  to  say  that  ? 
Dr.  Dwight  has  himself  been  a  minister-maker.  Some  of  the 
greatest  men  in  our  land  never  smelled  of  college.  I  would 
not  encourage  my  own  sons  to  go  there  for  any  purpose,  except 
the  ministry  ;  and  should  not  be  very  solicitous  about  that." 
I  was  relieved. 

Permit  me  to  add  another  incident,  though  I  have  to  say 
more  about  myself  than  I  should  choose.  After  the  death  of 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Woodward  of  Wolcott,  I  was  for  a  time  in  sus- 
pense in  regard  to  what  course  I  should  pursue.  Your  father 
consulted  Mr.  Hooker,  and  I  think  Dr.  Chapin,  in  my  behalf; 
but  without  success.  I  heard  of  Mr.  Porter  of  Washington, 
that  he  had  students  ;  and  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Robinson  stating 
what  I  had  learned,  and  requesting  his  advice.  He  replied  in 
a  note,  that  he  knew  something  of  Mr.  Porter,  and  thought 
well  of  him  :  and  added,  "  If  he  has  students  with  whom  you 
can  rank  as  to  proficiency,  I  would  not  object  to  your  going 
thither." 

The  term  "  proficiency"  I  did  not  then  fully  comprehend  ; 
or  see  why,  if  others  knew  more  than  I  did,  I  might  not  have 
the  privilege  of  learning  what  I  could.  When  I  met  him 
again,  I  asked  him  to/xplain.  He  said,  there  was  an  old  lady 
in  the  parish,  famous  for  raising  chickens.  She  would  so 
manage  as  to  have  all  her  hens  set  and  come  off  with  their 
broods  at  the  same  time  ;  sometimes  a  hundred  chickens  of 


SECT.  VI.]  LETTERS.— DR.  J.  S.  BARNES.  165 

the  same  age.  When  asked  why  she  took  so  much  pains  to 
secure  such  a  result;  "  Because,"  she  said,  "  she  didn't  want  to 
have  a  mess  of  great  chickens  treading  on  the  little  ones/' 
It  occurred  to  him,  that  Mr.  Porter  might  have  a  numher  of 
young  men  fresh  from  college  ;  who,  if  not  disposed  to  say, 
"  Stand  by  thyself,  I  am  holier  than  thou,"  might  yet  feel  in- 
clined to  say,  "  Stand  by  thyself,  I  know  more  than  thou. " 
This,  he  feared,  might  render  my  position  unpleasant.  I  had 
not  been  many  weeks  at  Mr.  Porter's,  before  I  learned  that 
there  was  more  wisdom  and  a  better  knowledge  of  human  na- 
ture indicated  by  this  suggestion,  than  I  at  first  apprehended. 
I  saw  your  father  a  short  time  during  a  painful  sickness, 
which  occurred  a  few  years  before  his  death  ;  but  which  he  was 
apprehensive  might  be  his  last.  He  manifested  a  calm  resig- 
nation to  the  divine  will  ;  and  I  think  repeated  one  of  his 
favourite  texts,  as  expressive  of  his  feelings  :  "  Though  he  slay 
me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  him."  He  expressed  a  desire  to  live 
longer  for  the  benefit  of  his  people  ;  fearing  some  evil  results 
to  them  if  he  should  be  then  removed. 

Yours  with  sentiments  of  high  regard, 

F.  HARBISON. 


2.  From  JULIUS  S.  BARNES  M.  D.  of  Southington. 

SOUTHINGTOX,  March  24,  1855. 

DEAR  SIR, — Yours  of  the  10th  inst.  was  duly  received. 
Since  that  time  I  have  seen  some  of  the  old  people  living  here 
near  the  time  of  your  father's  settlement.  Most  of  those  with 
whom  I  have  conversed,  are  women.  All  the  old  men,  who 
then  belonged  to  the  congregational  church  and  society  in 
this  town,  are  gone. 

The  greatest  blank  in  his  life,  you  say,  is  from  1780  to 
1800.  All  that  I  can  learn  of  him  during  this  period,  is, 
thait  aside  from  the  ordinary  duties  of  a  pastor,  he  kept  bees, 
and  let  them  out  ;  that  he  purchased  cows,  and  let  them  out ; 


MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

that  he  bought  land,  and  let  it  out  ;  all  upon  shares.  His 
duties,  both  as  a  minister  and  pastor,  were  during  this  time 
performed  to  general  satisfaction  ;  though  nothing  remarkable, 
or  worthy  of  particular  notice,  has  been  learned  by  me.  His 
later  life,  you  are  probably  much  better  acquainted  with  than 
I  am. 

Your  father  was  generally  considered  preeminently  a  great 
man  ;  and  among  men  accounted  great,  would  have  found  few 
his  superiors.  He  was  remarkable  for  his  punctuality  in  all  his 
engagements  ;  not  forgetting  the  minutest,  more  than  matters 
of  importance  ;  thus  setting  an  example  which  was  a  great 
benefit  to  his  people  and  the  town. 

His  preaching,  so  far  as  I  had  knowledge  of  it,  (about 
three  years,)  was  sound  and  orthodox  ;  setting  forth  the  sove- 
reignty of  God,  his  decrees,  election,  etc.  and  when  he  took 
time  to  prepare,  he  preached  excellent  sermons.  Had  he  given 
his  attention  to  the  study  of  theology,  to  writing  and  publish- 
ing, he  would  doubtless  have  excelled  most  of  his  cotempora- 
ries,  and  would  have  been  more  extensively  known  and  appre- 
ciated. As  it  was,  his  usefulness  was  circumscribed. 

He  was  ever  ready  to  aid  the  sick  and  suffering,  not  by 
sympathy  only,  but  by  substantial  aid  and  relief. 

He  took  a  great  interest  in  the  young,  and  endeavoured  to 
have  them  trained  to  virtuous  habits.  He  visited  the  com- 
mon schools ;  and  instructed  both  the  teachers  and  scholars. 
His  efforts  here  for  the  good  of  the  people  of  his  charge  will 
long  be  felt,  and  held  in  grateful  remembrance. 

Many  pithy  sayings  of  his  are  remembered  and  frequently 
repeated,  though  I  do  not  recollect  distinctly  many  of  them. 
One  of  them  was :  "  If  a  man  here  wishes  to  eat  wheat,  he 
must  raise  rye."  He  had  a  ready  fund  of  anecdote,  to  illus- 
trate and  enforce  upon  the  mind  and  memory  truths,  which  he 
wished  to  communicate.  He  was  reverenced,  feared,  and 
loved.  Eeverenced  for  the  sanctity  of  his  office  ;  feared  for  his 
manly  and  dignified  deportment,  and  his  acknowledged  supe- 
riority;  and  loved  for  his  affability  and  condescension. 


SECT.  VI.]  LETTERS.— R.  LOWREY,  ESQ.  16*7 

His  last  sickness  was  brief;  I  think  of  about  five  days 
continuance.  Previous  to  this,  for  a  year  or  more,  he  com- 
plained of  difficulty  of  breathing  in  walking,  and  upon  any 
muscular  exertion.  His  lower  extremities  were  much  swollen; 
and  he  had  unmistakable  symptoms  of  hydrathorax,  or  water 
in  the  chest  or  pericardium.  By  the  use  of  remedies,  the  ur- 
gent and  distressing  symptoms  were  relieved  ;  and  in  the 
month  of  July  before  his  death,  when  I  urged  the  propriety 
and  necessity  of  his  taking  tonics  after  the  evacuation  of  the 
water  from  his  body,  he  said  :  "  I  need  no  medicine  ;  I  feel 
perfectly  well,  and  am  at  least  fifteen  years  younger  than 
I  was." 

His  final  sickness  was  a  diarrhoea  and  a  general  lethargy, 
induced,  as  I  suppose,  by  too  great  exertion  and  fatigue  on  a 
very  warm  day,  and  eating  improper  food  in  such  quantity  as 
to  oppress  and  derange  the  system  in  its  weak  state. 

April  2, 1855. 

Since  I  wrote  you,  I  have  further  learned  from  an  aged  man, 
that  your  father's  influence  was  great  in  a  moral,  political, 
and  religious  point  of  view,  in  this  as  well  as  the  neighbouring 
towns.  Soon  after  the  commencement  of  the  French  revolu- 
tion, he  foresaw  its  probable  results,  and  publicly  in  the  pulpit 
denounced  French  philosophy  and  Jacobinism,  as  being  one 
and  the  same  thing,  and  nothing  but  rank  infidelity.  He  had 
no  sympathy  with  Jeffersonian  democracy  ;  and  his  influence 
was  such,  that  the  best  men  of  the  town  were  in  office  during 
the -whole  period  of  his  ministry. 

Respectfully  yours, 

J.  S.  BARNES. 

3.  From  the  late  ROMEO  LOWREY  ESQ.  of  Southington. 

SocrniNGTON,  January  9,  1855. 

DEAR  SIR, — Personally,  I  knew  your  father  more  as  a 
business  man  and  a  private  citizen,  than  as  a  preacher  ;  in 
fact,  he  preached  but  little  after  I  came  here.  I  have  not 


168  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

been  able,  since  I  received  your  letter,  to  see  any  of  the  aged 
people  ;  and  indeed,  but  few  remain  who  could  give  much  in- 
formation respecting  the  earlier  part  of  his  ministry.  He  was 
settled  in  the  hard  winter  of  1780,  on  a  salary  of  one  hundred 
pounds  in  money  or  grain,  and  twenty-five  cords  of  wood  an- 
nually. I  do  not  know  what  patrimony  your  father  might 
have  had  ;  but  on  such  a  salary  as  his,  most  men,  with  a 
family,  would  have  remained  poor  ;  especially  as  this  was  far 
from  being  paid  with  promptitude  prior  to  1795.  I  have 
been  told,  that  he  collected  a  considerable  portion  of  his  salary 
himself  until  1795  ;  taking  his  pay  in  such  articles  as  he  could 
get,  and  keeping  an  accurate  account  of  all  he  received  in  this 
way,  as  well  as  from  the  treasury.  He  was  scrupulously  exact 
in  all  his  accounts  ;  and  punctual  in  all  his  duties  as  a  pastor. 
I  am  not  aware  that  he  ever  asked  for  an  increase  of  his  salary, 
or  made  complaint  that  it  was  not  punctually  paid  ;  although 
he  might  justly  have  made  such  complaint.  He  actually  re- 
mitted in  one  or  more  years,  ten  pounds  from  his  salary,  on 
account  of  the  poverty  of  the  society.  He  received  but  little 
from  the  members  of  his  society  in  the  way  of  presents,  or  in 
any  other  way  except  for  marriage  fees  ;  and  if  you  have  ever 
examined  his  record  of  marriages,  you  have  noticed  the  amount 
received  at  every  marriage  solemnized  by  him ;  and  that 
amount  was  small.* 

But  your  father  had  the  good  sense  to  know  and  feel,  that 
the  society  was  feeble  ;  that  there  were  few,  if  any.  wealthy 
members  in  it ;  and  in  fact,  until  the  close  of  the  revolutionary 
war,  and  for  many  years  after,  all  were  poor.  In  this  situa- 
tion, he  found  it  necessary  to  rely  upon  his  own  exertions  to 
support  himself  and  family  ;  and  with  the  great  good  sense 
and  judgment,  which  he  possessed,  he  commenced  early  those 
habits  of  industry  and  economy,  which  he  continued  to  prac- 
tise through  life.  And  while  he  attended  faithfully  to  all  the 
duties  of  a  pastor,  he  had,  by  his  industry  and  economy  and 

*  The  regular  wedding  fee  was  one  dollar.     Where  more  or  less  than  that  was 
paid,  it  was  regularly  entered  on  his  record. — E.  R. 


SECT.  VI.]  LETTERS.— R.  LOWREY,  ESQ. 

wise  management,  as  early  as  1*795,  become,  I  suppose,  more 
wealthy  than  any  member  of  his  congregation  ;  insomuch,  that 
many  thought  he  was  receiving  too  much  pay,  and  was  grow- 
ing too  rich. 

There  had  never,  I  believe,  been  a  full  examination  of  the 
accounts  between  your  father  and  the  society,  until  about  the 
year  1795.  They  then  called  a  society-meeting,  and  appointed 
a  committee  to  examine  the  accounts  ;  and  ascertain  whether 
he  had  not  been  overpaid.  Your  father  had  every  cent  credited, 
that  he  had  received  ;  and  upon  the  adjustment  of  their  ac- 
counts, they  found  that  the  society  were  in  arrear  one  or  two 
years  of  his  salary.  They  then,  I  think,  so  altered  the  original 
agreement,  that  he  was  to  receive  one  hundred  and  ten  pounds 
in  money,  as  his  salary,  instead  of  his  former  salary  and  wood  ; 
and  this  was  all  that  he  ever  received,  until  the  close  of  his 
ministry. 

I  have  always  understood,  that  your  father  was  very  kind 
to  the  poor,  to  the  sick,  and  those  in  affliction  ;  and  while  he 
exacted  what  was  his  due  from  those  who  were  able  to  pay, 
I  believe  the  poor  always  considered  him  their  friend,  and  had 
reason  to  bless  him. 

He  had  been  much  afflicted  by  the  death  of  members  of 
his  family  ;  and  always  sympathized  deeply  with  those  who 
were  in  trouble. 

He  became  extensively  engaged  in  agriculture ;  and  in  the 
cultivation  of  his  lands  he  was  far  in  advance  of  his  neigh- 
bours. From  him  they  derived  much  valuable  instruction  on 
that  subject.  He  was  always  punctual  in  all  his  engagements, 
and  wanted  others  to  be  so  ;  and  although  they  did  not  all 
profit  by  his  example,  yet  many  under  his  influence  learned 
that  important  lesson,  and  practised  it  through  their  lives. 

He  had  a  mind  capable  of  mastering  any  subject  upon 
which  he  wished  to  inform  himself.  There  were  branches  of 
the  law,  on  which  he  was  as  well  informed  as  almost  any  lawyer 
in  the  State;  and  if  he  had  devoted  his  time  to  the  study  of 


1>70  MEMOIR.  [PACT  II. 

law,  or  politics,  lie  would  have  become  eminent  eitber  as  a 
lawyer  or  statesman. 

He  took  a  deep  interest  in  tbe  education  of  the  young  ; 
and,  I  believe,  was  appointed  annually,  until  near  the  close  of 
his  ministry,  one  of  the  visiting  committee  of  our  common 
schools,  and  one  of  the  committee  for  examining  the  qualifica- 
tions of  teachers.  My  impression  is,  that  he  visited  all  the 
schools  in  the  society  twice  or  more  every  year  ;  and  gave  to 
the  teachers  and  scholars  much  valuable  instruction. 

I  have  been  informed,  that  he  was  in  the  habit  of  pur- 
chasing books,  and  distributing  them  among  the  poor  children, 
whom  he  found  in  the  schools  destitute  of  books.  The  influ- 
ence which  he  exerted  over  our  schools,  was  most  salutary, 
and  remained  long  after  he  was  gone. 

As  I  have  said,  I  knew  personally  but  little  about  Mr. 
Robinson  as  a  preacher.  At  the  close  of  the  revolutionary 
war,  French  infidelity  prevailed  through  the  country  ;  and  in 
some  places  the  prevalence  of  it  became  alarming,  and  even 
professors  of  religion  imbibed  doctrines  which  your  father,  who 
was  a  strict  Calvinist,  considered  erroneous.  Arminian  views 
were  cherished  by  many  ;  and  about  this  time  the  Episcopa- 
lians and  Baptists  began  to  hold  meetings  within  his  society, 
and  to  inculcate  doctrines  which  neither  of  those  sects  would 
approve  at  the  present  day.  To  counteract  all  these  evil  ten- 
dencies, and  to  establish  his  people  upon  what  he  considered 
the  true  doctrine  of  the  Bible,  he  began  early  to  preach  much 
upon  doctrinal  subjects,  and  continued  that  practice  more, 
probably,  than  most  ministers,  through  his  life.  The  conse- 
quence was,  that  the  members  of  his  society  were  better  in- 
formed in  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  our  religion,  than  the 
members  of  most  churches,  even  at  the  present  day  ;  and  if  his 
hearers  were  not  all  pleased,  they  were  instructed  in  those 
great  principles,  which  furnished  them  with  material  for 
profitable  reflection  through  life. 

I  am  not,  perhaps,  a  competent  judge,  but  I  do  not  believe 
there  was  any  congregation  in  this  part  of  the  country,  so  well 


SECT.  VL]  LETTERS.— REV.  MR.  OGDEN. 

instructed  in  the  fundamental  truths  of  Christianity,  as  were 
the  members  of  that  to  which  your  father  preached  ;  nor  do  I 
believe  there  was  any  other  congregation  in  this  vicinity,  who 
were  better  judges  of  correct  preaching,  than  his. 

Mr.  Robinson  had  read  much,  and  had  read  thoroughly 
and  understandingly.  But  I  believe  he  spent  more  time  in 
thinking  than  in  reading  ;  and  from  observation,  reading,  and 
reflection,  he  had  stored  his  mind  with  a  fund  of  knowledge, 
which  made  his  society  interesting,  instructive,  and  useful. 
He  knew  well  the  value  of  time,  and  improved  it.  In  the  last 
year  or  two  of  his  life,  he  used  to  call  frequently  at  my  office, 
and  I  always  found  his  conversation  pleasant  and  profitable. 

I  believe  the  estimate  generally  made  of  him  was,  that  he 
was  one  of  the  great  men  in  an  age  of  great  men. 

Yours  respectfully, 

R.  LOWREY. 


II.  LETTERS  FROM  HIS  SUCCESSORS  IN  THE  MINISTRY. 

1.   From  t\e,  REV.  DAVID  L.  OGDEN,  now  of  New  Haven. 

NEW  HAVEN,  November  15, 1854. 

DEAR  SIR, — My  reminiscences  of  your  father  are  all  agree- 
able. He  manifested  towards  me,  as  his  successor  in  the 
pastorate,  a  kind  and  magnanimous  spirit.  I  know  it  is  an 
old  proverb,  that  '  dismissed  ministers  make  bad  parishioners.' 
I  do  not  believe  that  it  is  founded  in  truth.  At  any  rate  your 
father  was  no  example  of  it.  I  am  not  conscious  of  doing 
any  thing  to  merit  his  kind  treatment ;  except  that  I  always 
endeavoured  to  show  him  that  respect,  which  was  due  to  his 
age  and  personal  character. 

He  was  not  a  man  of  great  professions  without  action,  but 
he  generally  did  more  than  he  said  ;  being  remarkably  sincere 
and  unostentatious.  As  an  instance  of  this,  I  learned  that  he 
went  around  among  the  people,  to  induce  them  to  help  me  to 
build  the  house  which  I  afterwards  occupied  ;  but  he  never 


172  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

told  me  a  word  respecting  that  fact.     His  kindness  appears 
to  have  arisen  from  mere  principle. 

He  was  a  man  of  uncommon  wisdom.  I  found  that  when- 
ever I  asked  his  advice,  he  gave  it  willingly  ;  but  he  never 
obtruded  it  upon  me. 

As  he  had  a  commanding  intellect,  and  had  acquired 
great  influence  in  the  parish,  it  was  supposed  that  he  would 
control  a  young  man,  as  I  was.  But  he  never  attempted  it. 
If  in  any  case  I  differed  from  him  in  opinion,  he  showed  a 
greatness  of  mind  in  finding  no  fault.  I  have  often,  since  I 
have  attained  to  greater  experience,  wondered  at  the  patience 
with  which  he  bore  my  imperfections.  On  the  whole,  I  believe 
I  lived  with  him  as  a  son  with  a  father,  certainly  so  far  as  he. 
was  concerned. 

He  was  a  man  of  order.  It  is  no  small  tribute  to  his 
memory,  that  for  forty-one  years  lie  kept  that  great  society  to- 
gether in  such  a  good  degree  of  harmony,  that  a  promising 
field  was  furnished  for  his  successor  to  cultivate. 

As  a  preacher  he  was  universally  considered  as  showing 
discernment  and  talent.  I  never  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing 
him,  as  he  always  declined  preaching  in  the  pulpit  he  had 
occupied  ;  but  I  learned  something  from  the  people,  and  I  in- 
ferred something  from  the  effects  on  their  minds  then  appa- 
rent. Among  other  things,  it  appeared  in  the  willingness  of 
the  people  to  receive  sound  doctrinal  instruction  and  pointed 
reproof.  It  was  not  difficult  for  a  young  man  to  follow  him, 
and  be  faithful  to  the  consciences  of  the  people  ;  for  he  had 
prepared  them  to  receive  any  thing  that  was  true,  however 
unpalatable  it  might  be.  He  dwelt  much  upon  the  divine 
efficiency  ;  perhaps  more  than  on  human  agency.  It  is  pos- 
sible, that  he  might  have  given  the  former  topic  too  much 
prominence,  as  many  others  did  in  his  day.  But  he  doubtless 
acted  conscientiously  ;  and  he  made  a  great  impression  of  all 
that  class  of  doctrines  on  which  he  loved  to  dwell.  From  the 
few  words  which  he  dropped  to  me  on  his  dying  bed,  for  his 
disease  was  such  as  prevented  his  saying  much,  I  judge  that 
he  took  great  consolation  from  the  doctrines  he  had  preached. 


SECT.  VI.]  LETTERS.— REV.  MR.  JONES.  1*73 

He  had  a  weight  of  character,  which  always  commanded 
respect.  He  was  so  pointed  in  his  rebukes  of  sin,  that  many 
were  afraid  of  him.  He  never  feared  to  give  his  opinions  on 
all  subjects  where  they  were  asked  ;  and  some  being  unable  to 
meet  him  in  argument,  feared  him  on  this  account. 

Had  he  occupied  a  post  where  such  talents  were  required, 
I  think  he  would  have  shown  well  as  a  theological  teacher. 
His  mind  was  one  of  great  power  ;  and  it  always  excelled 
where  it  was  called  into  exercise. 

Yours,  truly,     . 

DAVID  L.  OGDEN. 

2.    From  the  REV.  ELISHA  C.  JONES,  now  Pastor  of  the 
Church  in  Southington. 

SouTnixcTOx,  October  25,  1854. 

DEAR  SIR, — The  traces  of  your  father's  influence  upon  the 
town  are  yet  plainly  discernible  ;  although  upwards  of  thirty- 
four  years  have  elapsed  since  he  closed  his  public  labours. 
During  the  early  part  of  my  residence  here,  which  commenced 
about  seventeen  years  ago,  his  sayings  and  doings  were  very 
often  quoted  with  great  deference  by  the  older  class  of  people  ; 
nor  is  it  uncommon  to  hear  them  repeated  at  this  day,  by 
those  who  have  received  them  by  tradition  from  their  fathers. 

He  evidently  impressed  the  minds  of  his  generation  with 
the  conviction,  that  he  was  a  man  of  much  wisdom,  both  in 
regard  to  secular  and  religious  interests  ;  and  his  observations 
and  opinions  seem  to  have  been  held  in  high  veneration. 
From  much  that  I  have  heard  concerning  him,  I  have  been 
led  to  infer,  that  he  was  remarkably  keen  and  discriminating 
in  his  judgment  of  human  character  and  actions ;  and  that 
men  were  made  to  feel  in  his  presence,  that  he  knew  them 
well.  The  idea  of  his  being  eminently  sagacious  and  discreet, 
is  one  of  the  first  and  last  that  has  held  possession  of  my 
mind  in  regard  to  him. 

My  impression  of  the  general  influence  of  his  ministry  is, 


174  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

that  it  was  rather  fitted,  like  that  perhaps  of  most  able 
preachers  of  his  day,  for  laying  "  the  foundation  of  many  gen- 
erations," than  for  producing  immediate  visible  results ;  and 
I  have  long  supposed  and  often  said,  that  the  subsequent 
growth  and  prosperity  of  this  church  were  probably  based,  in 
a  good  measure,  upon  the  sound  doctrinal  knowledge  in  which 
he  established  the  minds  of  the  people  in  his  day.  The  high 
views  which  he  inculcated  of  the  sovereign  holiness  and  grace 
of  God,  prepared  their  hearts  to  bow  low  before  the  mercy- 
seat,  when  the  "times  of  refreshing  came  from  the  presence  of 
the  Lord  ;  "  and  prompted  them  to  enjoin  upon  their  children 
the  same  sentiments,  which  they  had  themselves  imbibed. 
"  And  herein  is  that  saying  true,  one  soweth  and  another 
reapeth." 

This  view  of  the  case  would  probably  be  better  appreciated 
by  the  older  than  by  the  younger  portion  of  the  community  ; 
and  by  his  colleagues  and  successors  in  the  ministry  than  by 
ordinary  laymen. 

I  have  often  heard  him  spoken  of  in  clerical  circles  as  a 
sound  and  able  divine,  and  as  a  man  of  great  practical  discern- 
ment and  wisdom. 

On  the  whole,  estimating  him  in  connection  with  the  cir- 
cumstances and  customs  of  his  times,  he  appears  to  me  to 
have  been  one  of  the  strong  pillars  of  the  church  ;  and  to  have 
moulded  the  opinions  and  character  of  society  after  a  true 
pattern,  both  in  respect  to  the  great  doctrines  of  revelation 
and  the  well  ordering  of  public  institutions  and  private  affairs 
of  life. 

With  great  respect,  yours  very  truly, 

E.  C.  JONES. 


SECT.  VI.]  LETTERS.— REV.  MR.  ROBBINS.  175 

III.    LETTERS  FROM  MEMBERS  OF  HARTFORD  SOUTH  ASSO- 
CIATION. 

1.  From  the  KEV.  ROYAL  BOBBINS,  of  Kensington. 

KENSINGTON,  September  25,  1854. 

REV.  AND  DEAR  SIR, — I  do  not  know  that  the  little  I 
have  to  say  concerning  your  father,  can  be  of  much  use  to  his 
biographer  ;  yet  it  gives  me  satisfaction  to  pay  my  humble 
tribute  of  respect  to  his  memory. 

Although  I  lived  so  near  him,  it  does  not  occur  to  my 
recollection,  that  I  ever  heard  him  preach  more  than  once  or 
twice.  Once  at  a  meeting  of  the  Association  I  was  present, 
when  he  preached  ;  and  though,  at  this  distant  day,  the  text 
and  the  subject  are  forgotten,  I  have  a  distinct  remembrance 
of  a  remark  which  he  made,  and  which  probably  was  charac- 
teristic of  his  tone  of  preaching.  I  infer  that  his  pulpit  exhi- 
bitions were  pointed  and  discriminating  ;  that  his  manner  was 
plain  and  unaffected  ;  and  his  elocution  quite  natural  and  con- 
versation-like. Had  I  never  heard  him  preach,  I  should  have 
learned  his  strict  Calvinism  from  the  reputation  he  bore,  as 
well  as  from  remarks  I  heard  from  him  in  private.  I  remem- 
ber his  criticising  some  sentiment  of  Dr.  Smalley's,  which  he 
thought  savoured  of  Arminianism.  The  particular  thing  has 
passed  from  my  mind  ;  but  I  believe  your  father  deemed  it  of 
some  importance,  correct  as  he  must  have  viewed  the  Doctor 
to  be,. generally,  in  his  theology. 

In  native  powers  of  mind,  I  think  your  father  stood  in  the 
foremost  rank  among  the  brethren  ia  our  Association.  Such, 
I  believe,  was  the  common  opinion.  I  remember  well  a  com- 
parison, which  Dr.  Chapin  drew  between  him  and  Dr.  Smalley, 
in  regard  to  the  character  of  their  intellects  respectively.  Dr. 
Smalley  was  represented  as  being  perhaps  the  more  acute 
reasoner,  or  at  least  capable  of  seeing  at  a  greater  distance  in 
one  given  direction,  and  pursuing  a  point  farther,  in  a  process 
of  deduction,  than  your  father  ;  but  the  latter  as  comprehend- 


176  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

ing  more  in  the  field  of  his  vision,  and  taking  a  wider  range  of 
thought.  The  representation  impressed  me  with  the  belief, 
that  your  father  had  the  more  numerous  resources  in  knowl- 
edge and  intermediate  ideas,  with  greater  breadth  of  views  ; 
and  that  Dr.  Smalley  possessed  the  keener  metaphysical  in- 
sight in  a  narrower  compass.  There  is  reason  to  think,  that 
this  may  have  been  the  fact  with  these  two  able  men.  Your 
father  had,  doubtless,  a  wide  reach  of  thought,  embracing 
many  subjects,  both  secular  and  religious  ;  and  his  mind  seems 
to  have  been  of  a  highly  practical  character. 

Of  his  ardent  piety  and  profound  submission  to  God,  there 
were  abundant  tokens  in  his  habitual  conduct.  When  your 
mother  died,  the  expression  of  his  feelings  to  me  was  striking, 
as  he  met  me  on  the  occasion  of  her  funeral  ;  for  I  particularly 
remember  what  he  eaid.  "  I  do  not  know,"  he  remarked 
among  other  things,  "what  the  Lord  intends  to  do  with  me." 

Your  father  was  evidently  a  man  of  strong  and  tender 
feelings  ;  and  was  sympathetic  and  social  in  his  nature.  The 
many  afflictions  and  painful  changes  through  which  he  passed, 
had  doubtless  their  softening,  hallowing  effect  on  him,  giving 
him  a  childlike  tenderness  and  teachableness.  To  feel  that 
whatever  God  did  was  right,  seems  to  have  been  fixed  and 
habitual  in  him  ;  and  while  he  commiserated  the  afflicted,  I 
believe  he  was  wont  to  enjoin  on  them  the  duty  of  unqualified 
acquiescence  in  the  divine  will.  This  duty  I  know  he  urged 
on  myself,  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  my  first-born  child. 

Your  father  was  a  man  of  much  kindness  and  friendliness 
in  the  intercourse  of  life  ;  at  least  I  am  led  to  judge  so  from 
his  Christian  and  ministerial  urbanity  towards  me.  No  doubt 
he  was  interested  in  my  welfare  as  a  young  minister,  settled 
in  his  neighbourhood,  and  connected  with  his  early  and  inti- 
mate friend,  Dr.  Upson  ;  and  for  the  sake  of  the  Gospel  which 
he  loved,  he  was  not  indifferent  to  my  success.  His  benevo- 
lent feelings  were  apparent  towards  myself,  and  I  doubt  not 
towards  others. 

That  he  preached  the  Gospel  faithfully  to  his  people,  and 


SECT.  VI.]  LETTERS.— REV.  DR.  BRACE. 

guided  his  church  with  a  steady  and  efficient  hand,  is  the  im- 
pression I  have  had  ever  since  he  became  known  to  me.  The 
weight  of  his  opinions  and  counsels  in  the  Association  to 
which  he  belonged,  was  felt  and  duly  acknowledged  by  his 
brethren. 

What  he  was,  however,  in  the  meetings  of  that  body,  and 
in  other  ecclesiastical  assemblies,  and  in  some  other  respects, 
also,  perhaps  Dr.  Brace  of  Newington  can  give  more  information 
than  I ;  for  he  is  several  years  my  senior  in  the  ministry ;  and 
must  have  met  your  father  many  more  times  in  ecclesiastical 
and  religious  meetings  than  was  the  case  with  me.  And  I 
think,  moreover,  that  Dr.  Brace  would  have  a  lively  appre- 
ciation of  your  father's  character  in  many  respects,  beyond  any 
other  clergyman  living,  unless  it  be  Dr.  Porter. 

The  thought  of  the  fathers,  who  have  passed  away,  is 
pleasant  and  mournful  to  the  soul.  Their  worth  of  character 
is  to  us  a  precious  legacy. 

Yours,  ever,  with  Christian  esteem, 

ROYAL  BOBBINS. 

2.  From  the  REV.  JOAB  BKACE  D.  D.  formerly  of  Newington. 

NEWINGTON,  October  31,  1854. 

DEAR  SIR, — Your  father  was  an  acute,  observing,  pene- 
trating judge  of  men  and  business.  I  suppose  he  did  more 
than  twenty  others,  to  make  Southington  what  it  is.  And  it 
is  one  of  the  most  stable  towns  in  the  State,  one  of  the  most 
staid  congregations,  and  one  of  the  most  liberal  in  missionary 
contributions.  I  can  see  how  it  is.  That  whole  region  was 
Farmington  plain,  a  sandy  country,  covered  with  shrub-oaks 
and  white  birches,  inhabited  by  a  retired  people,  who  had  not 
found  their  own  powers  of  enterprise  and  success.  It  was 
Panthorn  then.  Your  father  went  in  among  them,  a  divine, 
a  philosopher,  an  inventor,  a  practical,  every-day,  common- 
sense  worker.  He  settled  upon  a  small  salary,  and  had 
nothing  of  an  estate.  He  had  mind.  He  had  knowledge  ;  that 
12 


178  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

is,  power.  He  could  make  a  little  do  a  great  deal.  As  he 
once  told  me  of  Koger  Whittlesey,  so  I  may  say  of  himself : 
"  He  would  live  upon  a  rock."  I  feel  an  impression  of  Mr. 
Whittlesey's  saying  to  me  :  "  It  was  Mr.  Eobinson  who  taught 
the  people  of  Southington  how  to  live." 

Your  father's  money  was  planted  corn,  producing  a  hun- 
dred-fold. If  a  poor  neighbour's  cow  were  about  being  seized 
for  debt,  Mr.  Robinson  would  say  :  "  Here,  I  will  buy  your 
cow,  and  let  you  keep  her  for  rent,  (four  dollars  a  year,)  and 
let  you  redeem  her,  whenever  you  can  do  it."  He  would  pos- 
sess forty  or  fifty  cows  in  this  way,  relieving  the  men,  encour- 
aging their  industry  and  frugality,  and  laying  a  foundation  for 
them  to  become  men  of  property.  If  a  man  were  in  debt  for 
his  house  and  land,  and  liable  to  a  forced  sale,  Mr.  Robinson 
said  to  him  :  "  I  will  lend  you  money  to  pay  your  debt,  take  a 
a  mortgage  of  your  farm,  and  let  you  redeem  it  just  as  soon  as 
you  can."  Thus  he  saved  many ;  while  he  might  be  obliged 
to  hold  the  property  of  the  inactive  and  improvident,  who  had 
not  energy  and  calculation  enough  to  work  their  way  out.  He 
put  them  into  a  condition  to  help  themselves,  if  they  had  the 
resolution  to  do  it. 

He  was  himself  a  bright  example  of  intellectual  and  prac- 
tical farming.  His  grounds  were  cultivated,  and  planted,  and 
harvested,  in  season,  and  with  system  and  success.  He  was  a 
professor  of  agriculture,  an  agricultural  society,  a  specimen 
known  and  read  of  all  men.  He  could  set  his  property  at 
work  in  mills,  manufactories,  banks ;  and  he  could  be  his  own 
banker  as  well  as  Stephen  Grirard.  It  was  easy  for  him  to 
manage  a  million  of  business  ;  while  another  is  distressed  and 
perplexed,  in  bringing  his  own  small  affairs  round  the  year. 

It  is  impossible  for  me  to  measure  the  influence  of  your 
father  in  raising  that  farming,  manufacturing,  enterprising 
town  of  Southington.  The  people  felt  his  power.  They 
revered  his  learning.  They  were  sensible  of  his  strong  mind, 
of  his  literature,  his  divinity,  and  of  his  decisive  and  bold 
preaching.  One  man  said  that  "  Mr.  Robinson  was  a  water- 


SECT.  VI.]  LETTERS.— REV.  DR.  BRACE..  179 

man  ;  he  looked  one  way  and  rowed  the  other."  Mr.  Bobin- 
son  replied,  that  if  he  had  two  talents,  he  had  no  right  to 
neglect  either. 

The  congregation  in  Southington  is  now  one  of  the  largest 
in  the  State,  one  of  the  most  orthodox,  and  one  of  the  most 
puritanical  in  its  habits.  No  people  make  a  greater  work  of 
attending  public  worship  than  they;  and  none  have  been  more 
remarkable  in  later  years  for  revivals  of  religion.  I  spent 
some  time  there  with  Mr.  Ogden,  when  the  whole  town  seemed 
to  be  awake.  A  great  part  of  the  people  lived  three  miles  and 
four  miles  from  the  house  of  worship  ;  and  yet  they  had  great 
constancy  in  attending.  Indeed,  the  people  of  Southington 
have  been  observed  from  generation  to  generation,  for  their 
exemplary  attendance  on  the  Sabbath  and  public  worship. 

I  suppose  the  high  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  which  your 
father  maintained  and  preached,  and  the  strict  rules  of  living 
which  he  enjoined,  prepared  the  way  for  those  revivals  of  re- 
ligion, which  have  led  so  many  into  the  church,  and  which 
have  given  the  town  so  good  a  character.  The  people  were 
from  the  beginning  under  the  power  of  an  orthodox  ministry, 
and  trained  up  in  puritan  practices  ;  so  that  the  revivals  which 
were  ascribed  to  the  agency  of  the  succeeding  ministers,  really 
had  their  origin  in  the  faithful  services  of  those  who  went  before. 

Your  father  was  stern  in  his  spirit,  and  awful  in  his  eye  ; 
but  he  was  gentle  and  kind  in  his  conversation.  I  am  es- 
pecially impressed  with  this  thought,  as  I  recollect  the  feelings 
of  Mrs.  Brace  in  regard  to  his  manner  and  aspect,  in  our  many 
exchanges.  She  was  always  happy  to  have  him  come  ;  and 
she  enjoyed  his  conversation  and  his  preaching.  He  treated 
her  as  one  capable  of  understanding  and  worthy  of  regard. 
He  studied  to  make  himself  pleasant  and  agreeable  in  the 
house.  This  shows  one  very  important  trait  in  his  character. 

Mrs.  Brace  told  me  one  anecdote,  illustrating  his  well 
known  humorous  and  playful  turn.  On  his  way  over  to  our 
house,  he  met  a  man  of  his  parishioners,  and  said  to  him, 
pleasantly,  "  Well,  my  friend,  how  do  you  get  aloug  with 


jgQ  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

your  family  ?  "  "  Oh,"  said  the  neighbour,  "  very  well,  my 
wife  has  her  thirteenth  child,  and  I  think  we  shall  get  on 
much  better  with  the  second  dozen  than  we  did  with  the 
first/3  It  was  wonderful,  said  my  wife,  to  see  how  Mr.  Kob- 
inson  did  laugh  and  amuse  himself  with  that  reply.* 

There  was  one  thing  very  special  among  your  father's 
people,  which  showed  their  systematic  calculation  in  attending 
public  worship.  I  am  thinking  of  those  twenty  or  thirty  Sab- 
bath-day houses,  on  the  green,  built  by  the  remote  dwellers, 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  Sabbath  occupancy.  Here  was  a  cabin 
with  fire-place  and  utensils,  where  the  whole  wagon  load  could 
be  warmed  and  fed,  and  made  comfortable  during  the  day. 
That  was  before  the  introduction  of  stoves  and  furnaces  for 
warming  the  whole  assembly.  This  was  making  a  business  of 
the  Sabbath.  "  Blessed  are  they  that  dwell  in  thy  house." 
Must  not  such  a  people  prosper  ? 

Your  father  was  a  strong  man  in  the  Association  of  min- 
isters. We  all  felt  his  discernment,  his  strictness,  his  bold- 
ness and  decision.  There  was  no  half  way  with  him.  His 
argument  was  clear,  and  his  judgment  positive.  His  rebuke 
was  felt.  He  had  wit,  and  satire,  and  anecdote,  which  were 
much  indulged  in  meetings  of  ministers  at  that  day.  I  re- 
member one  dispute  which  we  had  in  the  Association,  on  the 
question  of  usury.  It  called  forth  animated  conversation;  and 
while  we  generally  maintained  that  six  per  cent,  was  as  much 
as  property  at  large  would  bear,  and  that,  therefore,  as  it  must 
be  oppressing  somebody  to  take  a  higher  rate,  a  Christian 
could  not  do  it, — he  insisted  strenuously,  that  it  was  as  right 
to  sell  the  use  of  your  money,  as  to  sell  the  use  of  your  house; 
and  therefore  that  the  legislature  had  no  authority  for  making 
a  limit.  And  I  see  not  but  they  are  all  coming  into  your 
father's  principles  in  these  days. 

The  common  feeling  of  the  people  is,  that  the  minister 
must  be  poor.  I  remember  in  passing  from  New  Haven  to 
Hartford,  being  driven  by  a  cold  storm  into  Selah  Lewis'  tav- 

*  Mrs.  Brace,  whom  my  father  esteemed  very  highly,  died  November  16, 
1854 ;  a  fortnight  after  the  date  of  the  above  letter.— E.  K. 


SECT.  VI.]  LETTERS.— REV.  DR.  PORTER.  Jgl 

era,  just  north  of  your  father's  house  ;  and  hearing  them  give 
the  history  of  his  course.  Mr.  Kobinson,  they  said,  came  here 
poor  ;  and  when  he  was  looking  for  a  house,  he  chose  a  place 
out  in  the  by-lane,  to  be  out  of  the  noise  of  the  street,  and  to 
be  at  leisure  for  his  studies  ;  as  though  having  nothing  to  do 
with  the  world.  But  he  soon  found  means  of  making  great 
buildings  and  farms  ;  and  is  become  the  richest  man  in  the 
town.  Yours  respectfully  and  affectionately, 

J.  BRACE. 


IV.  LETTERS  FROM  OTHER  CLERGYMEN. 
1.  From  the  KEV.  NOAH  PORTER  D.  D.  of  Farmington. 

FARMINGTON,  September  20,  1854. 

•DEAR  SIR, — Having  had  no  personal  acquaintance  with 
your  excellent  father  till  he  was  considerably  advanced  in  life, 
and  never  having  been  connected  with  him  in  Association  or 
other  stated  meeting  of  ministers,  I  had  not  the  best  oppor- 
tunity of  marking  his  distinguishing  traits  of  character  ;  and 
such  as  I  did  mark,  from  occasionally  hearing  him  preach  in 
my  early  youth,  and  from  the  intercourse  I  had  with  him 
after  my  settlement  in  the  ministry,  have  in  some  degree  faded 
from  memory  in  the  progress  of  the  thirty  years,  which  have 
passed  away  since  his  death. 

Some  things,  however,  were  too  deeply  impressed  upon 
me  to  be  effaced.  Such  were  his  person  and  bearing, — tall, 
full,  erect,  well  becoming  one  of  "  nature's  noblemen/'  which 
he  truly  was,  in  mind  and  moral  dignity.  He  was  a  man  of 
strength,  in  body,  in  intellect,  in  feeling.  He  also  was  a  man 
of  great  urbanity,  kind,  social,  free,  and  open-hearted.  He 
had  also  great  variety  and  comprehensiveness  of  knowledge, 
particularly  on  matters  of  common  concern.  I  do  not  know 
that  he  excelled  many  others  of  his  profession  in  science  and 
literature  ;  although  a  mind  so  active  and  penetrating  could 
not  have  left  him  behind  the  clergymen  of  his  connection  in 


182  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

these  respects  ;  but  I  refer  more  particularly  to  his  knowledge 
of  the  times  and  passing  events,  in  their  political  and  econo- 
mical, as  well  as  moral  and  religious  bearing.  And  from  his 
habits  of  reading  and  reflection  on  these  subjects,  his  conver- 
sation with  men  of  all  classes  was  remarkably  interesting, 
vivacious,  and  instructive. 

His  theology  was  Hopkinsian  ;  and  his  preaching,  more 
than  that  of  any  other  minister  in  this  vicinity,  was  imbued 
with  the  distinguishing  doctrines  of  that  system.  He  believed 
not  only,  in  common  with  other  Calvinists,  in  the  universal 
providence  of  God,  and  his  eternal  and  sovereign  purposes  in 
respect  to  all  events,  but  in  his  direct  efficiency  in  the  produc- 
tion of  whatever  comes  to  pass.  And  what  he  believed  on 
these  great  and  awful  truths,  he  preached  abundantly  and 
with  no  disguise  or  faltering.  Yet  he  preached  on  these  sub- 
jects, as  on  others,  practically,  and  with  uncommon  tender- 
ness ;  often  with  tears,  and  sometimes  with  emotion  that  for 
the  moment  prevented  utterance. 

His  sermons  were  remarkably  biblical.  So  far  as  they 
were  written,  they  seemed  to  have  been  merely  outlines  of  the 
current  of  his  thoughts,  together  with  copious  references  to 
passages  of  Scripture  for  illustration  and  proof  ;  to  which,  in 
preaching,  he  turned  with  entire  readiness  and  facility,  ex- 
plaining and  urging  them,  and  reasoning  from  them  with 
much  freedom  and  power. 

From  this  sketch  of  his  character  and  habits,  it  might 
naturally  be  inferred  that  he  was  of  an  independent  mind. 
No  one  who  was  at  all  acquainted  with  him,  could  fail  to  be 
impressed  with  this.  The  following  anecdote,  illustrative  of 
it,  has  been  preserved,  although  I  cannot  tell  on  what  author- 
ity. While  he  was  preaching  at  Southington,  as  a  candidate 
for  settlement  in  the  ministry, — he  being  at  that  time  a  Tutor 
in  Yale  College, — he  returned  one  Monday  morning  after 
preaching  there  on  the  Sabbath  ;  when  one  of  his  fellow 
Tutors  said  to  him  :  "  So,  you  are  about  to  be  settled  over  the 
people  of  Southington  ?  "  "  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  if  I  am  set- 


SECT.  VL]  LETTERS.— EEV.  DR.  PORTER.  183 

tied  there,  I  shall  be  settled  over,  and  not  under  them."  His 
ministry  of  more  than  forty  years  was  correspondent  to  this 
remark  ;  and  yet  not  in  any  despotic,  arbitrary,  or  overbearing 
manner.  He  had  his  own  opinions  in  theology,  in  politics, 
and  in  matters  pertaining  to  his  social  and  domestic  economy  ; 
and  he  fearlessly  spoke  and  acted  according  to  them.  As  a 
Calvinist,  his  preaching  sometimes  aroused  the  opposition  of 
the  "  carnal  mind  ;"  but  "  he  believed  and  therefore  spake." 
'As  a  federalist  of  the  Washington  school,  his  political  was  to 
many  not  less  offensive  than  his  religious  creed;  and  he  was 
no  less  open  and  decided  in  propounding  and  advocating  the 
former  than  the  latter. 

As  a  man,  he  regarded  it  a  primary  duty  to  provide  for 
his  own  ;  and  his  engagement  in  secular  business  for  this  pur- 
pose, when  his  salary  was  found  incompetent,  drew  upon  him 
censure  ;  but  believing  that  in  this,  as  well  as  in  his  more  ap- 
propriate work,  he  was  serving  his  generation  by  the  will  of 
God,  he  would  not  be  diverted. 

It  would  have  been  strange,  if  so  inflexible  a  mind  was 
never  inflexibly,  even  though  unconsciously,  in  the  wrong. 
His  Christian  friends  lamented,  that  a  man  so  well  fitted  to 
impress  himself  upon  his  age,  suffered  himself  to  be  diverted, 
by  secular  engagements,  from  the  high  attainments  and  the 
extensive  usefulness,  of  which  he  was  so  remarkably  capable. 
Whatever  necessity  there  may  have  been  for  this  at  the  first, 
his  perseverance  in  it  after  God  gave  him  abundance,  natural 
though  it  was,  and  in  similar  cases  common,  had  not  the  same 
plea  in  its  vindication. 

But  however  he  may  have  erred,  he  enjoyed  to  the  last, 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  people  which  he  so  long 
served,  and  of  the  churches  wherever  he  was  known.  When 
the  time  came  for  him  to  resign  his  pastoral  charge,  he  quietly 
submitted  to  the  decision  ;  and  when  he  died,  the  conviction 
of  the  community  around  him  was,  that  a  great  man,  and  a 
good,  had  fallen. 

I  am,  Sir,  with  much  respect  and  esteem,  yours  truly, 

NOAH  PORTER. 


184  MEMOIR.  [PABT  II. 

2.  From  the  REV.  HEMAN  HUMPHREY  D.  D.  formerly  Presi- 
dent of  Amlierst  College. 

PITTSFIELD,  December  7,  1854. 

DEAR  SIR, — Though  I  cannot  say,  that  my  acquaintance 
with  your  honoured  father  was  very  intimate,  yet  it  was 
perhaps  sufficiently  so  to  justify  me  in  attempting  a  brief 
estimate  of  his  talents  and  preaching.  I  had  frequent  oppor- 
tunities of  hearing  him  in  the  pulpit  of  my  pastor,  the  Rev. 
Jonathan  Miller,  of  the  North  Parish  of  Bristol,  then  called 
West  Britain,  now  Burlington.  My  personal  acquaintance 
with  him  commenced  when  I  was  in  Yale  College.  As  I 
passed  through  Southington  in  going  to  and  from  New  Haven, 
I  generally  called  at  his  house,  and  was  hospitably  entertained 
by  him  and  his  estimable  family  ;  and  I  met  him  from  time 
to  time  afterwards,  till  near  the  close  of  his  life. 

Mr.  Robinson's  personal  appearance  was  uncommonly  im- 
posing. He  was  tall  and  muscular,  and  his  frame  ever}'  way 
indicated  great  strength,  as  well  as  remarkable  symmetry.  He 
had  a  noble  forehead,  rather  a  light  complexion,  and  hair 
rather  sandy  than  dark ;  and  his  face,  as  I  remember  him, 
was  altogether  highly  intellectual.  When  he  entered  the 
pulpit,  there  was  something  in  his  appearance,  which  could 
hardly  fail  to  awaken  high  expectations  in  regard  to  what  we 
were  to  hear  from  his  lips.  He  was  dignified  in  all  his  atti- 
tudes, solemn,  and  perfectly  self-possessed.  He  spoke  with 
great  deliberation  ;  his  voice  was  strong  ;  his  articulation  dis- 
tinct, and  altogether  a  good  one  for  a  public  speaker.  He  had 
but  little  gesture  in  the  pulpit,  and  ordinarily  manifested  but 
little  emotion  ;  but  sometimes  he  was  deeply  moved,  and,  as 
those  who  heard  him  oftener,  say,  even  to  tears.  His  sermons 
were  not  generally  written  out  ;  but  they  were  so  thoroughly 
premeditated,  as  never  to  betray  any  confusion  or  hesitancy, 
either  of  thought  or  expression.  He  usually  preached  with  a 
small  Bible  in  his  hand  ;  and  in  quoting  from  it,  would  some- 
times turn  to  his  proof-texts  and  read  them,  when  they  did 


SECT.  VI.]  LETTERS.— REV.  DR.  HUMPHREY.  185 

not  occur  instantly  to  his  memory.  He  had  a  remarkably 
clear  and  logical  mind.  He  could  not  preach  without  a  sub- 
ject. He  must  have  some  important  truth  to  prove  or  illus- 
trate ;  and  as  he  went  on  step  by  step,  like  a  strong  man  as  he 
was,  he  convinced  his  audience,  that  whether  they  agreed  with 
him  on  all  points  or  not,  it  would  not  be  safe  to  encounter  him 
in  argument. 

Mr.  Eobinson  was  eminently  a  doctrinal  preacher.  His 
creed  was  decidedly  Calvinistic ;  more  of  the  Hopkinsian  type, 
perhaps,  than  any  other.  While  his  preaching  was  highly  in- 
tellectual, it  was  remarkably  biblical,  and  so  instructive  and 
convincing,  that  if  his  stated  hearers  did  not  become  rooted 
and  grounded  in  the  truth,  it  must  have  been  their  own  fault. 
There  was  perhaps  nothing  in  his  preaching  which  impressed 
you  more,  than  the  idea  of  reserved  strength.  You  could  not 
listen  to  him  attentively  without  feeling,  that  strong  as  he 
was  in  the  pulpit,  it  cost  him  but  little  effort ;  and  that  if  he 
were  to  put  forth  his  full  strength,  he  could  do  much  more. 

Mr.  Robinson  was  the  minister  of  a  respectable  country 
parish  ;  and  had  no  ambition,  I  believe,  to  mingle  much  with 
the  world  as  it  was,  and  as  it  is.  He  came  upon  the  stage 
about  the  same  time  with  the  late  President  Dwight ;  and  I 
have  heard  it  said,  that  he  was  considered  by  their  cotemporaries, 
who  intimately  knew  them  both,  as  not  inferior  to  Dwight  in 
intellectual  power  and  promise.  And  had  circumstances  called 
his  powers  into  equally  vigorous  exercise,  and  opened  before 
him  an  equally  wide  field,  I  see  not  why  he  might  not  have 
had  an  equally  brilliant  career. 

I  am,  dear  Sir,  truly  yours, 

H.  HUMPHREY. 


186  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 


SECTION    VII. 

CHILDREN   OF   KEY.  WILLIAM  KOBINSON,  AND   THEIR  DE- 
SCENDANTS. 

OF  the  ten  children  born  to  Mr.  Kobinson,  four  died  in 
infancy,  and  six  grew  up  to  adult  years.  Of  the  latter,  four 
still  survive. 

In  the  following  enumeration,  the  names  of  the  children 
are  printed  in  large  capitals  ;  those  of  the  grandchildren  in 
small  capitals.  All  those  to  whose  name  a  star  [*]  is  pre- 
fixed, are  deceased. 

By  his  first  Wife,  NAOMI  WOLCOTT. 

*  WILLIAM,  born  April  12,  1781  ;  died  four  days  after. 
See  page  95. 

By  lus  second  Wife,  SOPHIA  MOSELY. 

*WILLIAM,\)OTii  August  31,  1784  ;  graduated  at  Yale 
College  in  September,  1804  ;  died  November  14,  1804,  aged 
twenty  years.  See  pp.  100,  120. 

By  his  third  Wife,  ANNE  MILLS. 

*NAOMI  SOPHIA,  born  May  30,  1788;  married 
JAMES  WOODRUFF,  March  24,  1811  ;  resided  in  Catskill,  Al- 
bany, Detroit,  and  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  Died  at  Brooklyn,  No- 
vember 21,  1849,  in  the  sixty-second  year  of  her  age.  Her 
husband  died  April  29,  1855,  aged  seventy  years.  They  had 
two  daughters,  viz. 

ANNE  MILLS,  born  April  16,  1812  ;  married  THEODORE 
EOMEYN,  December  3,  1834.  Their  children  are  :  Sophia 
Robinson,  born  December  9,  1835.  Susan  Van  Vranken, 
born  July  4,  1837.  James  Woodruff,  born  March  18,  1839. 
*Hekn  Isabella,  born  March  13, 1841;  died  February  2, 1842. 
— The  family  is  now  resident  in  Detroit,  Mich. 


SECT.  VII.]  DESCENDANTS.  187 

HELEN  ELISABETH,  born  September  8,  1816  ;  married 
GEORGE  H.  TRACY,  April  20,  1836.  Their  children  are  : 
Anna  Woodruff,  born  December  23,  1836.  George  Dour/las, 
born  November  26, 1839.  William  Wolcott,  born  September 
29,  1842.  Helen  Louise,  born  October  5, 1844.  Clara  Gould, 
born  April  30,  1849. — The  family  resides  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

*A  SON,  stillborn,  July  7, 1789.     See  p.  104. 

By  his  fourth  Wife,  ELISABETH  NORTON. 

*JOHN,  born  November  29, 1791 ;  died  Jan.  25, 1792. 

EDWARD,  born  April  10,  1794;  graduated  at  Hamil- 
ton College  in  1816j  was  Tutor  there  for  one  year,  1817-18  ; 
Instructor  in  Hebrew  in  Andover  Theological  Seminary  for 
three  years,  1823-26  ;  was  four  years  in  Europe,  1826-30 ; 
Professor  Extraordinary  at  Andover  for  three  years,  1830-33  ; 
then  resided  in  Boston";  and  has  been  Professor  of  Biblical 
Literature  in  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York,  since 
January,  1837  ;  travelled  in  Palestine  in  1838,  and  again  in 
1852. — He  first  married,  September  3, 1818,  ELIZA,  youngest 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Kirkland,  Missionary  to  the 
Oneidas ;  she  died,  without  issue,  July  5,  1819.  He  mar- 
ried as  his  second  wife,  August  7,  1828,  THERESE,  youngest 
daughter  of  Staatsrath  L.  H.  von  Jakob,  Professor  in  the 
University  of  Halle ;  born  January  26,  1797.  They  have 
had  four  children  : 

MARY  AUGUSTA,  born  June  25,  1829. 

^MAXIMILIAN,  born  September  31,  1831  ;  died  August 
10,  1832. 

--ARTHUR,  born  February  4,  1833  ;  died  November  24, 
1833. 

EDWARD,  born  September  19, 1836 ;  now  lawyer  in  New 
York. 

*GEORGE,  born  September  10,  1796  ;  died  January  20, 
1799. 


188  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

GEORGE,  born  December  3,  1798  ;  was  a  merchant  in 
New  Haven  and  Northampton  ;  now  clerk  in  the  Comptroller's 
office,  Hartford.  He  first  married,  Nov.  30,  1820,  *SARAH 
GLEASON  COWLES,  daughter  of  Gen.  Solomon  Cowles  of  Far- 
mington  ;  she  died  February  20,  1833,  aged  30  years  ;  having 
had  five  children.  He  married,  as  his  second  wife,  January 
7,  1835,  HARRIET  WHITING  BRADLEY,  daughter  of  Jared 
Bradley  of  New  Haven,  born  March  8,  1809  ;  they  have  had 
ten  children. 

Children  by  the  first  Wife : 

*ELIZA  KIRKLAND,  born  February  4,  1822  ;  died  Febru- 
ary 24, 1824. 

*  WILLIAM,  born  March  29,  1824  ;  was  merchant's  clerk 
in  Hartford  and  New  York ;  died  February  26,  1855,  aged 
thirty-one  years. 

LOUISE,  born  November  28,  1825. 

EDWARD,  born  March  2,  1828  ;  merchant  in  Charleston, 
S.  C. 

FRANCIS,  born  May  24,  1830  ;  merchant's  clerk. 

By  the  second  Wife  : 

*GEORGE,  born  May  23, 1836  ;  died  March  26,  1837. 
JOHN  STONE,  born  May  29, 1837  ;  merchant's  clerk. 
CAROLINE  ELISABETH,  born  March  21,  1839. 
* JAMES  BRADLEY,  bom  April  10,  1841  ;  died  August  19, 
1843. 

CHARLES  AUGUSTUS,  born  July  17,  1842. 

THERESA,  born  June  25, 1845. 

MARY  AUGUSTA,  bora  July  11,  1847. 

HENRY  NORTON,  born  December  31, 1849. 

•--ALICE,  born  October  21,  1851  ;  died  September  6, 1852. 

FREDERICK  WHITING,  born  April  8, 1856. 

CHARLES,  born  February  10,  1801  ;  graduated  at  Yale 
College  in  1821  ;  resided  for  some  years  in  Southington  ;  now 
lawyer  in  New  Haven,  Conn.  He  married,  March  13,  1826, 
NANCY  MARIA,  daughter  of  Hervey  Mulford  of  New  Haven. 
They  have  had  eight  children,  of  whom  only  three  survive  : 


SECT.  VII.]  DESCENDANTS. 

CORNELIA,  born  December  7,  1826. 

'•'•'ELISABETH,  bora  August  28,  1829  ;  died  October  24, 
1831. 

*CHARLES,  born  June  25,  1831  ;  died  March  18,  1833. 

*ELISABETH,  bora  November  29,  1833  ;  died  November 
16,  1836. 

'••-CHARLES,  born  July  10, 1836  ;  died  January  1,  1837. 

*  WILLIAM  EDWARD,  born  October  30,  1839  ;  died  De- 
cember 14,  1843. 

ARTHUR,  born  January  21,  1843. 

ERNEST,  born  December  20,  1845. 

ELISABETH,  born  July  25,  1803  ;  resides  in  New  Ha- 
ven, Conn. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  NOTE. 

Eelation  of  the  Children  of  Mr.  Eobinson  to  early  Ancestors 
in  New  England. 

From  the  account  of  the  ancestors  of  Mr.  Kobinson  in 
Part  I,  and  from  the  notices  of  the  Norton,  Strong,  and 
Hooker  families  in  the  Appendix  (H,  K),  are  derived  the  fol- 
lowing results,  viz. 

I.  It  appears,  that  through  Mr.  Kobinson  himself,  all  his 
children  are  lineally  descended  from  the  following  ancestors  : 

1.  In  the  male  line,  and  in   the  sixth  generation,  from 
WILLIAM  KOBINSON  of  Dorchester,  the  first  ancestor  of  the 
family  ;  who  came  from  England  about  the  year  1636.     See 
above,  pages  3,  61. 

2.  Through  his  grandmother,  Mrs.  Hannah  Robinson,  wife 
of  the  Rev.  John  Robinson  of  Duxbury,  they  are  lineal  de- 
scendants, in  the  seventh  generation,  from  JOHN  ALDEN  and 
PRISCILLA  MULLINS  his  wife,  who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower 
in  1620  ;  the  said  children  being  great  grandchildren  of  the 
said  Mrs.  Hannah  Robinson,  who  was  herself  a  great  grand- 
daughter of  the  said  John  Alden  and  Priscilla  Mullins.     See 


190  MEMOIR.  [PART  II. 

above,  pages  16-23. — Through  the  barne  Mrs.  Hannah  Robin- 
son, the  said  children  are  in  like  manner  probably  descendants, 
in  the  sixth  generation,  from  Elder  THOMAS  WISWALL,  who 
came  from  England  about  1635,  and  settled  first  in  Dorchester 
and  afterwards  in  Newton.  See  above,  pages  14,  15. 

3.  Through  his  mother,  Mrs.  Lydia  Eobinson,  second  wife 
of  Ichabod  Robinson  of  Lebanon,  they  are  likewise  lineal  de- 
scendants, in  the  seventh  generation,  from  WILLIAM  HYDE, 
who  came  from  England  about  1636,  settled  first  at  Hartford, 
and  was  afterwards  one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  Norwich, 
Conn.  See  above,  p.  51. 

II.  It  appears,  further,  that  the  children  of  Mr.  Robinson 
by  his  fourth  wife,  ELISABETH  NORTON,  are  through  her,  lineally 
descended  from  the  following  ancestors  : 

1.  In  the  male  (Norton)  line;,  and  in  the  sixth  generation, 
from  JOHN  NORTON,  one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  Bran- 
ford  and  afterwards  of  Farmington  ;  who  is  first  mentioned  in 
1646.     See  appendix  H. 

2.  Through  her  grandfather,  Asahel  Strong  of  Farming- 
ton,  they  are  lineal  descendants,  in  the  seventh  generation, 
from  Elder  JOHN  STRONG  of  Northampton,  who  came  from 
England  in  1630  ;  and  also  from  the  REV.  EPHRAIM  HUIT  (or 
HEWIT)  of  Windsor,  who  came  over,  in  1639  ;   the  said  chil- 
dren being,  through  their  mother,  great  grandchildren  of  the 
said  Asahel  Strong  ;  who  was  himself  a  great  grandson  of  the 
said  Elder  John  Strong,  and  of  the  Rev.  Ephraim  Huit.    See 
Appendix  K. 

3.  In   like    manner,  through   Mrs.  Ruth   Strong    (born 
Hooker),  wife  of  the  said  Asahel  Strong  of  Farmington,  the 
said  children  are  lineal  descendants,  in  the  seventh  generation, 
from  the  REV.  THOMAS  HOOKER,  the  first  Minister  of  Hart- 
ford, who  came  from  England  in  1633  ;  they  being  great  grand- 
children of  the  said  Mrs.  Ruth  Strong,  who  was  herself  a  great 
granddaughter  of  the  said  Rev.  Thomas  Hooker.     See  Ap- 
pendix K. 


APPENDIX. 


.A. 

LETTER  FROM  THE  HON.  JAMES  SAVAGE,  LL.  D. 

Page  10. 

BOSTOX,  March  11,  1857. 

MY  DEAR  SIR, — To  your  inquiries  of  the  5th  inst.  I  have  given 
much  attention.  Of  Samuel  Robinson,  the  son  of  William  of  Dor- 
chester, who  died  September  16,  1718,  I  find  neither  will,  nor  any 
administration,  on  referring  to  the  Indexes  of  our  volumes  of  Probate 
Court  for  several  subsequent  years.  Well,  so  much  was  known  to 
you  before.  But  then  you  inquire,  Could  the  estate  have  been  set- 
tled among  the  heirs  themselves,  without  letters  of  administration, 
and  without  any  reference  or  report  to  the  Court  of  Probate  ?  and  to 
this  the  answer  is,  Yes. 

Next  you  ask,  May  there  not  have  been  a  separate  book  of  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Court,  in  which  some  notice  of  such  reference  would 
be  entered ;  and  is  any  such  book  in  existence  ?  and  to  each  member 
of  that  interrogatory  the  answer  is,  No.  I  never  heard  of  such  a 
book,  and  can  conceive  of  no  use  for  its  introduction. 

Estates  descend  by  an  exact  rule  of  law,  if  intestate.  Real 
estate,  if  not  divided,  (in  the  case  you  put  it  was  so  easy,  that  I  can 
hardly  feel  a  doubt  it  was  done,)  would  be  partible  after  the  death  of 
one  or  more  heirs,  in  the  same  manner  as  before. 

It  occurred  to  me,  that  the  heirs  had  agreed  on  a  division,  and 
therefore  gave  mutual  deeds  of  release  to  each  other,  for  the  purpose 
of  holding  in  severalty,  not  in  common.  But  as  the  deeds  must  be 
recorded,  and  no  such  record  can  I  find  in  looking  over  the  volumes 
before  November  1730,  it  is  highly  improvable  that  there  was  such 


192  APPENDIX  B. 

formal  division. — Well,  then,  thought  I,  the  father  may  have  divided 
his  estate  to  the  two  sons  by  several  deeds  during  his  lifetime.  And 
so  I  have  looked  backwards  ;  and  feel  sure,  that  for  at  least  ten  years 
before  his  death,  he  did  no  such  thing ;  or  at  least,  between  1707  and 
1731  no  record  of  any  such  thing  appears.* 

It  would  be  presumed,  if  part  of  the  lands  of  said  Samuel  were 
found  in  possession  exclusive  of  his  son  Samuel,  and  other  part  in 
similar  possession  of  his  son  John,  that  partition  had  been  made, 
either  by  the  sons  after  death,  or  by  the  father  in  his  lifetime,  and 
delivery  made  in  pursuance  of  such  partition  ;  and  that  it  was  a  mat- 
ter in  pais,  not  of  deed ;  and  that  stakes  and  stones  or  other  monu- 
ments were  set  up,  and  neighbours  called  to  witness  thereunto.  Who 
could  set  up  any  opposite  title  ? 

Still  easier  would  be  the  settlement  of  estate  merely  personal. 
Let  each  brother  give  receipt  in  full  to  the  other,  and  gain  acquit- 
tance from  every  creditor  ;  and  it  is  nobody's  business  whether  the 
Probate  Court  had  any  duty  upon  it  or  not. 

I  am,  your  obedient  and  obliged, 

JAMES  SAVAGE. 


B. 

MONUMENT  OF  MRS.  HANNAH  ROBINSON  AT  PROVINCETOWN. 
ITS  DISAPPEARANCE. 

Page  27. 

In  May,  1857,  I  wrote  to  the  Rev.  Osborne  Myrick,  Pastor  of  the 
Congregational  Church  in  Provincetown,  on  Cape  Cod,  requesting 
him  to  obtain  for  me  a  copy  of  the  inscription  on  the  tombstone  of 
Mrs.  Robinson.  In  reply,  he  informed  me  that  the  stone  had  disap- 
peared, and  related  the  circumstances  as  reported  to  him. 

In  July  following  I  visited  the  Cape ;  but  my  correspondent  was 
then  absent  on  a  journey.  By  the  kindness  of  Dr.  J.  Stone,  I  was 
able  to  visit  and  examine  the  old  cemetery ;  and  to  see  that  the  stone 
was  no  longer  to  be  found.  But  whether  it  was  now  covered  by  the 
flowing  sand,  or  had  been  removed,  was  not  so  certain.  The  short- 

*  One  of  the  sons,  the  Rev.  John  Robinson  of  Duxbury,  who  died  at  Lebanon 
in  1745,  did  thus  give  deeds  of  his  real  estate  to  his  two  sons  in  severally,  two 
years  before  his  own  death.  The  deeds  are  on  record  in  Lebanon,  Conn. — E.  R. 


MONUMENT  AT  PROVINCETOWN.  193 

ness  of  my  visit,  dependent  on  the  weekly  trip  of  a  steamer,  from 
Saturday  afternoon  to  Monday  morning,  did  not  allow  of  a  satisfac- 
tory investigation  at  the  time. 

The  following  brief  account  is  drawn  up,  partly  from  my  own  ob- 
servation and  inquiries,  and  partly  from  subsequent  correspondence 
with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Myrick. 

Provincetown  lies,  as  is  well  known,  along  the  north-western 
shore  of  Cape  Cod  harbour,  some  miles  south-east  of  Race  Point,  and 
within  the  hook.  The  region  is  all  sand ;  and  a  line  of  sand-hills, 
some  of  them  high,  stretches  along  back  of  the  town,  and  parallel  to 
the  shore  of  the  harbour.  On  the  highest  of  these  hills  stands  the 
town-house,  commanding  a  wide  view  of  the  whole  cape.  The  town 
consists  mainly  of  a  single  long  street  near  the  shore,  between  it  and 
the  line  of  sand-hills.  For  a  short  distance  only,  there  is  a  second 
parallel  street  further  back.  From  the  main  street,  short  lanes  run 
down  to  the  water  side.  Many  lanes  also  run  up  north-west  to 
the  base  of  the  hills  or  between  them.  The  houses  in  this  part  stand 
in  many  places  huddled  together,  without  lanes  or  streets.  There 
is  here  nothing  but  sand ;  deep,  dreary  sand ;  and  the  main  street 
itself  is  only  made  tolerable  for  persons  on  foot,  by  means  of  a  side- 
walk of  plank  along  its  northern  side.  The  population  of  the  town 
amounted,  in  1850,  to  somewhat  more  than  three  thousand  souls. 

The  early  bury  ing-ground,  in  which  the  body  of  Mrs.  Robinson 
was  interred,  lies  back  of  the  south-western  end  of  the  main  street. 
It  occupied  the  interval  between  two  sand-hills.  A  lane  from  the 
main  street  passes  up  along  its  south-western  side.  It  was  never 
large  ;  and  at  present  its  form  is  nearly  a  square,  of  only  a  few  rods  on 
a  side.  But  the  sand  has  accumulated,  and  flowed  down  from  the 
hills  on  each  side ;  so  that  the  original  surface  appears  only  in  a  nar- 
row strip  along  the  middle,  skirted  on  either  hand  by  steep  slopes  of 
loose  sand.  What  was  once  the  lower  end  of  the  cemetery,  is  now 
occupied  by  two  dwelling-houses.  Over  against  the  cemetery,  on 
the  south-western  side  of  the  lane  above  mentioned,  is  the  house  of 
Mr.  Lord.  So  rapid  has  been  the  accumulation  of  sand  along  this 
Uuic,  and  flowing  down  from  it  into  the  cemetery,  that  whereas  for- 
merly the  house  of  Mr.  Lord  was  entered  from  the  lane  by  ascending 
a  step  or  two,  one  has  now  to  descend  a  step  or  two  in  order  to  reach 
it.  Just  north  of  the  cemetery  and  higher,  stands  the  house  of 
Mr.  Nickerson,  one  of  the  oldest  inhabitants. 

Only  three  tombstones  still  remain  visible,  bearing  respectively 
13 


194  APPENDIX    B. 

the  dates  of  1717, 1727,  and  1745.  Since  the  latter  year,  it  is  under- 
stood that  no  interments  have  here  taken  place ;  and  the  enclosure 
has  been  given  up  to  the  overflowing  sand  and  utter  desolation ;  ex- 
cept so  far  as  to  maintain  a  fence  around  it.  "Would  that  the  genera- 
tion of  the  living  had  more  respect  for  the  habitation  of  their  ances- 
tral dead  ! 

The  place  of  Mrs.  Robinson's  grave  is  pointed  out,  as  being  near 
the  south-western  side  of  the  cemetery,  somewhat  below  the  middle. 
The  stone  was  erected  by  her  husband,  and  was  probably  similar  to 
that  of  her  daughter  in  Duxbury  ;  the  verse  of  Scripture  (Ps.  107,  30) 
being  divided  between  the  two.  It  was  of  course  greatly  exposed  to 
be  covered  by  the  bank  of  sand  ;  and  Col.  Trumbull  found  it  thus 
partially. hidden.  Late  in  1840  he  spoke  to  me  of  this  monument; 
and  said  he  had  caused  it  to  be  restored.  His  visit  there  is  still  re- 
membered ;  and  also  his  search  for  the  grave  of  his  grandmother. 
In  what  this  renewal  of  the  stone  consisted, — whether  a  new  stone  was 
procured,  or  the  inscription  only  was  cut  anew  upon  the  former  stone, 
is  not  certain.  Those  who  knew  the  stone,  both  before  and  after  its 
renewal,  affirm  that  the  abbreviations  (ye  and  the  like)  of  the  former 
were  in  the  latter  inscribed  at  full  length. 

Thus  the  monument  remained  until  about  1848  or  1850.  The 
following  account  of  circumstances,  which  took  place  about  that  time, 
was  given  by  Mrs.  Lord,  who  lived  opposite ;  and  who  was  the  first  to 
notice  the  disappearance  of  the  stone.  It  was  given  from  a  sick-bed, 
not  long  before  her  death.  She  was  accustomed  to  use  the  grass  and 
bushes  in  the  old  grave-yard,  for  spreading  out  her  clothes.  While 
thus  employed  one  day,  nine  or  ten  years  ago,  two  young  men  came 
into  the  yard,  and  asked  if  she  could  direct  them  to  that  grave-stone ; 
which  she  did.  They  borrowed  a  shovel ;  and  after  digging  away 
the  sand,  which  had  gathered  around  the  lettering,  she  heard  them 
say,  "  This  is  it."  They  went  away;  and  a  few  days  afterwards, 
while  taking  in  her  clothes,  she  noticed  that  the  stones  (both  head 
and  footstone)  were  gone ;  nor  could  she  ascertain  what  had  become 
of  them.  She  and  others  suppose  the  stone  must  have  been  re- 
moved secretly  by  night ;  since  it  is  hardly  to  be  supposed,  that  a  stone 
so  well  known  could  have  been  openly  carried  off  by  day  from  a  place 
surrounded  by  dwelling-houses,  in  the  midst  of  a  country  town,  and 
exposed  to  the  view  of  so  many  persons,  without  its  becoming  at  once 
a  matter  of  public  notoriety. — Another  person  also  recollects  two 
young  men  making  inquiries  after  that  grave-stone ;  and  it  is  con- 


MONUMENT  AT  PROVINCETOWN. 

fidently  believed,  that  the  sloop,  in  which  the  said  two  young  men 
came  to  the  cape,  was  from  Duxbury. 

On  receiving  this  account  by  letter,  my  own  conclusion  was,  that 
if  the  stone  had  actually  been  thus  removed,  it  could  only  have  been 
done  by  some  descendant  of  Mrs.  Robinson,  or  some  zealous  anti- 
quary in  Kingston  or  Duxbury  ;  most  probably  in  order  to  place  it 
by  the  side  of  her  daughter's  monument,  in  the  old  grave-yard  in 
Duxbury.  But  on  visiting  that  spot  (July  17,  1857),  I  found  no 
such  stone ;  nor  did  I  find  any  one  in  Kingston  or  Duxbury  who 
was  aware  of  its  removal. 

On  reaching  Provincetown  the  next  day,  Dr.  Stone  was  so  kind 
as  to  accompany  me  to  the  old  cemetery;  and  we  made  such  an  exam- 
ination as  was  practicable,  without  extensively  digging  away  the  sand. 
The  impression  I  then  received  was,  that  the  stone  might  very  well  be 
still  in  its  place,  buried  beneath  the  bank  of  sand  ;  or  that,  if  actually 
gone,  it  had  probably  been  taken  away  secretly  for  some  private  use. 
It  was  longer  and  thicker  than  the  other  stones  in  the  yard ;  and  in 
such  a  region  of  sand  would  have  a  more  than  ordinary  value. 

After  the  return  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Myrick,  he,  in  company  with  the 
aged  Mr.  Nickerson  and  several  other  volunteers,  made  a  further 
search,  late  in  August,  1857.  They  dug  away  the  sand  with  a 
shovel,  and  sounded  with  a  steel  rod  six  feet  long ;  but  found  no 
trace  of  the  stone.  They  were  all  satisfied,  that  it  is  not  buried  un- 
der the  sand.  A  notice  of  its  disappearance,  with  a  request  for  in- 
formation, was  inserted  in  the  public  newspaper  of  the  place ;  but  it 
drew  out  no  reply. 

A  like  search  was  repeated  early  in  December,  1858,  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Myrick  and  others,  by  sounding,  and  digging  away  the  sand ; 
but  with  no  better  success. 

Here,  apparently,  the  matter  must  rest.  My  own  impression  still 
remains,  that  if  the  stone  has  actually  been  removed,  it  was  proba- 
bly taken  for  some  private  use. 

I  am  under  great  obligation  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Myrick,  for  his 
kindness  and  activity  in  the  whole  matter. 


196  APPENT)IX    C. 

c. 

YALE  COLLEGE. — THE  VALEDICTORY.     THE  BERKELEY  SCHOLARSHIP. 

Pages  69,  70. 

THE  VALEDICTORY. — I  am  indebted  to  E.  C.  Herrick,  Esq. 
Treasurer  and  formerly  Librarian  of  Yale  College,  for  a  letter  (dated 
October  24,  1856)  giving  an  account  of  his  investigations  on  this 
subject.  He  writes  thus :  "  Before  the  year  1798,  no  Valedictory 
oration  [by  a  Senior]  appears  on  the  schemes  of  the  exercises  at 
Commencement.  In  1798,  James  Burnet,  a  member  of  the  gradu- 
ating class,  delivered  a  Valedictory;  and  the  custom  has  been  con- 
tinued from  that  time  to  the  present.  In  1796  and  1797,  the  con- 
cluding oration  at  Commencement  was  given  by  a  Tutor.  Before 
1796,  most  of  the  speakers  in  the  afternoon  exercises  of  Commence- 
ment, were  candidates  for  the  second  degree. — For  many  years,  down 
to  about  1835,  probably,  the  Valedictory  oration  was  not,  or  might 
not  be,  assigned  to  the  best  scholar ;  but  to  a  good  scholar,  of  fair 
character,  who,  it  was  judged,  would  write  and  deliver  the  best  ora- 
tion. For  about  twenty  years  past,  the  Valedictory  has  been  the 
mark  of  the  highest  scholarship ;  but  by  the  public,  it  has  for  half  a 
century  been  reckoned  the  highest  appointment." 

THE  DEAN'S  SCHOLARSHIP. — See  Baldwin's  History  of  Yale  Col- 
lege, pp.  45-48.  I  am  further  indebted  to  E.  C.  Herrick,  Esq. 
under  date  of  March  6  and  14,  1857,  for  the  following  extract  and 
statement  respecting  the  Berkeley  Scholarship,  or  Dean's  Bounty. 

"  In  the  year  1733,  Dean  Berkeley  gave  to  the  Corporation  of 
Yale  College  his  farm  of  ninety-six  acres  in  Newport,  R.  I.  on  con- 
dition that  the  Corporation  will,  for  ever  after,  pay  the  clear  yearly 
income  thereof  '  to  three  students  of  the  said  College,  towards  their 
'  maintenance  and  subsistence  during  the  time  between  their  first  and 
'  second  degree ;  such  students  being  to  be  called  Scholars  of  the 
'  House ;  and  during  that  space  of  time  being  hereby  obliged  to 
'  reside  at  least  three  quarters  of  each  year  between  their  first  and 
'  second  degree,  in  the  said  College : — and  that  the  said  students,  or 
'  Scholars  of  the  House,  be  elected  on  the  sixth  day  of  May,  if  not  on 
'  a  Sunday  ;  but  if  it  shall  happen  on  a  Sunday,  then  the  election  to 
'  be  on  the  day  following.  .  .  .  The  candidates  to  be  publicly  ex- 
'  amined  by  the  President  or  Rector  and  Senior  Missionary,  two  hours 


APPENDIX    D.  197 

'  in  the  morning  in  Greek,  and  in  the  afternoon  two  hours  in  Latin,  on 
'  the  day  of  election  ;  all  persons  having  free  access  to  hear  the  said 
'  examination.  .  .  .  Those  who  appear  to  be  the  best  scholars,  upon 
'  the  said  examination,  [shall]  be  without  favour  or  affection  elected.' 

"  From  1769  to  1789,  the  yearly  rent  of  the  Berkeley  farm  was 
one  hundred  ounces  of  silver.  This  sum,  deducting  expenses,  was 
to  be  shared  equally  by  the  three  scholars,  if  all  resident ;  and  all 
money  forfeited  by  non-residence,  was  to  be  spent  in  Greek  and  Latin 
books  for  premiums.  Since  A.  D.  1810,  the  yearly  rent  has  been 
only  one  hundred  and  forty  dollars.  The  mode  of  distribution  is  still 
the  same. 

"  In  the  year  1781,  the  tenant  paid  for  five  years'  rent,  ending 
March  25,  1781,  five  hundred  and  twenty  Spanish  milled  dollars; 
thirty-five  dollars  being  remitted  on  account,  of  ravages  committed  by 
the  British,  and  no  interest  being  charged.  This  fact  shows,  that 
silver  was  then  worth  $1  11  per  ounce." 

As  to  the  assignment  of  the  Berkeley  scholarship,  it  is  plain, 
that  although  the  deed  speaks  of  three  to  be  elected  from  each  class, 
yet  only  one  from  each  class  could  reside,  and  be  entitled  to  one-third 
part  of  the  yearly  income.  Hence  apparently  the  custom  (now  drop 
ped)  of  appointing  &  first  Scholar  of  the  House,  to  whom  this  privilege 
should  belong ;  and  others,  who  might  enjoy  it,  in  case  of  his  non- 
residence.  "  Practically  no  trouble  has  ever  arisen.  It  has  been 
customary  to  examine  every  year  the  candidates  who  may  offer ;  and 
usually  to  elect  one  or  more.  Many  never  reside  ;  but  are  content 
with  the  honour  only." 

The  Berkeley  farm  .in  Newport  is  now  under  a  lease  for  "  nine 
hundred  and  ninety-nine  years."  The  rent,  at  first,  was  variable,  as 
above ;  but  in  1810,  it  was  permanently  fixed  at  one  hundred  and 
forty  dollars. 


33. 

THE  WOLCOTT  FAMILY. 
Page  93. 

The  founder  of  the  family  in  Connecticut,  and  in  this  country, 
was  HENRY  WOLCOTT,  ESQ.  whose  name  stands  first  on  the  list  of  the 
settlers  of  Windsor,  as  found  on  the  records  of  the  town  in  1640. 


198  APPENDIX    D. 

He  died  May  30,  1655,  in  the  seventy-seventh  year  of  his  age.  His 
monument  is  still  seen  in  the  old  burying-ground  of  Windsor.* 

SIMON  WOLCOTT  was  the  youngest  son  of  Henry  Woleott.  He 
lived  at  East  Windsor;  which,  until  1768,  was  only  a  parish  in  the 
town  of  Windsor.  He  married  Martha  Pitkin,  a  sister  of  the  Hon. 
William  Pitkin  of  East  Hartford,  a  lady  of  high  culture,  who  had 
received  an  accomplished  education  in  London.  They  had  nine 
children. 

HENRY  WOLCOTT  was  the  second  son  and  fifth  child  of  Simon  and 
Martha  Wolcott.  He  resided  in  East  (now  South)  Windsor,  and 
married  Rachel  Talcott. — His  brother,  ROGER  WOLCOTT,  the  youngest 
child  of  his  parents,  lived  also  in  East  (now  South)  Windsor,  and  was 
Major-general  in  the  expedition  against  Louisburgh  in  1745.  He 
became  Chief  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  was  Governor  of 
the  State  from  1751  to  1754.  He  died  May  17, 1767,  in  his  eighty- 
ninth  year.  His  monument  is  in  the  old  burying-ground  of  Windsor,  f 
His  son  OLIVER  WOLCOTT  was  born  December  1,  1726  ;  and  gradu- 
ated at  Yale  College  in  1747.  He  resided  in  Litchfield  ;  was  one  of 
the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence ;  and  became  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State  in  1796  ;  in  which  office  he  died,  December  1, 1797, 
aged  seventy-one  years.  |  His  son,  the  second  OLIVER  WOLCOTT, 
born  in  1760,  succeeded  Hamilton,  in  1795,  as  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  under  Washington ;  and  was  Governor  of  Connecticut  from 
1817  to  1827.  He  died  June  2, 1833. 

GIDEON  WOLCOTT  was  the  son  of  the  preceding  Henry  and  Rachel 
Wolcott.  He  was  born  in  1712  ;  being  nine  years  younger  than 
Jonathan  Edwards,  who  was  born  on  the  same  street.  He  married, 
as  his  second  wife,  Naomi  Olmsted,  daughter  of  Deac.  Joseph  Olmsted 
of  East  Hartford.  Capt.  Gideon  Wolcott  commanded  one  of  the 
companies  raised  by  the  colonists  in  1760,  against  the  French  and 
Indians.  We  have  only  this  record  of  him,  that  "  his  cotemporaries, 
and  those  who  knew  him  best,  regarded  him  as  one  of  nature's  noble- 
men." He  died  January  5,  1761.  His  estate  was  inventoried  at 
£2,557. 

NAOMI  WOLCOTT,  his  daughter,  born  September  28,  1754,  was 
baptized  by  the  Rev.  Timothy  Edwards,  the  father  of  Pres.  Edwards, 

*  See  Trumbull's  Hist,  of  Conn.  p.  235,  or  Vol.  I.  p.  227.  Barber's  Connecti- 
cut Hist.  Collections,  pp.  127,  132. 

f  Barber's  Connecticut  Hist.  Coll.  pp.  79,  128,  132. 
%  Barber,  ibid.  pp.  457,  458. 


THE  WOLCOTT  FAMILY.  199 

who  was  pastor  of  the  church  in  East  Windsor  from  1694  to  1758.* 
She  married  the  Rev.  William  Robinson,  February  8,  1780 ;  and 
died  April  16,  1782. 

Samuel  Wolcott,  her  elder  brother,  eldest  son  of  Gideon  Wolcott, 
lived  on  the  homestead  in  East  (now  South)  Windsor.  He  was 
born  April  4,  1751 ;  and  married  Jerusha,  daughter  of  Judge  Eras- 
tus  Wolcott,  December  29,  1774.  He  was  a  commissary  in  the  army 
of  the  Revolution.  He  died  suddenly,  June  7,  1813,  at  his  residence 
in  South  Windsor,  aged  sixty-two  years.  He  acquired  a  handsome 
property  for  those  days;  the  inventory  of  his  estate  amounting  to 
$30,669.  He  had  eight  children,  as  follows,  viz. 

Jerusha,  born  October  8,  1775 ;  married  Epaphras  Bissell, 
Nov.  30,  1794  ;  resided  at  East  Windsor  Hill  and  Lockport,  N.  Y. 
Deceased. 

Naomi,  born  October  10,  1777 ;  married  James  Wadsworth  of 
Geneseo,  N.  Y.  October  1,  1804.  Deceased. 

Samuel,  born  December  12,  1781 ;  died  February  17,  1795. 

Elihu,  born  February  12,  1784;  married,  November  27,  1806, 
Rachel,  youngest  daughter  of  the  Rev.  David  McClure  D.  D.  of 
East  Windsor ;  she  died  April  2,  1822.  In  1830  he  removed  to 
Jacksonville,  111.  where  he  died,  in  the  peace  and  hope  of  the  Gos- 
pel, December  2,  1858,  aged  seventy-four  years. — His  eldest  son  is 
the  Rev.  Samuel  Wolcott,  now  of  Providence,  R.  I.  born  July  2, 
1813. 

Sophia,  born  March  29,  1786;  married,  October  19,  1807,  the 
late  Martin  Ellsworth  of  Windsor,  son  of  Chief  Justice  Ellsworth. 
Resides  upon  the  old  Ellsworth  place. 

Ursula,  born  November  17, 1788 ;  married,  May  10,  1815,  Rev. 
Newton  Skinner  of  New  Britain,  Conn,  who  died  March  31,  1825. f 
She  now  lives  with  her  son,  Doct.  Samuel  Skinner,  at  Windsor  Locks. 

Elisabeth,  born  September  23,  1791 ;  married,  November  23, 
1820,  Erastus  Ellsworth  of  New  York.  Resides  now  at  East  Wind- 
sor Hill. 

Horace,  born  March  25,1794;  died  in  Illinois,  unmarried,  in 
1838. 

For  the  preceding  family  notices,  I  am  indebted  to  the  kindness 
of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Wolcott  of  Providence,  R.  I. 

*  See  Sprague's  Annals,  I.  p.  230.  \  Ibid.  I.  p.  5G3. 


200  APPENDIX   E. 

E. 

THE  MOSELY  FAMILY  IN  WESTFIELD,  MASS. 

Page  100. 

JOHN  MOSELY,  the  first  of  the  name  in  Westfield,  removed  thither 
from  Windsor,  Conn,  in  1677.  But  the  name  of  Mosely  is  not 
found  in  the  list  of  the  first  settlers  of  "Windsor.  He  married  Mary 
Newbury  in  1664. 

JOHN  MOSELY,  son  of  the  preceding,  resided  in  "Westfield ;  and  is 
always  called  Quarter-master  Mosely  in  the  town  records. 

COL.  JOHN  MOSELY,  son  of  the  preceding,  was  one  of  the  aris- 
tocracy of  the  place.  He  was  apparently  a  man  of  rather  fiery  tem- 
perament, and  bore  among  the  baser  sort  the  nickname  of  "  Old 
Ginger."  He  married  his  second  cousin,  Hannah  Mosely,  in  1753, 
by  whom  he  had  a  large  family  of  children.  He  died  September  1, 
1780,  aged  fifty-five  years.  His  wife  died  September  7,  1800,  aged 
sixty- seven  years. 

Their  children  were  as  follows : 

Hannah,  born  August  11,  1755 ;  married  Aaron  King  in  1775  ; 
after  his  decease,  she  married  Caleb  Bosworth  in  1785.  She  died  in 
1819,  aged  sixty-four  years.  Her  descendants  reside  in  Westfield. 

Eleanor,  baptized  April  30,  1759 ;  died  May  6,  1759. 

SOPHIA,  born  October  7, 1760;  married  the  Rev.  William  Robin- 
son, September  16,  1783 ;  died  December  31,  1784. 

Margaret,  born  March  15,  1763  ;  married  William  Shepard  Jr. 
son  of  Gen.  William  Shepard,  an  officer  in  the  revolutionary  army, 
and  the  man  who  struck  the  first  blow  at  Springfield,  which  quelled 
the  Shays  rebellion.  Her  descendants  are  in  Ohio. 

Olive,  born  May  2, 1765,  married  Azariah  Ashley,  and  removed 
to  Hartwood,  now  Washington,  Mass.  She  afterwards  married  Aza- 
riah Mosely,  her  cousin ;  and  died  in  1813,  aged  forty-eight  years. 
Her  descendants  are  still  in  Westfield. 

Clarissa,  married  the  poet  Honeywood  about  1788,  and  resided 
in  Salem,  Washington  Co.  N.  Y.  He  died  without  children  in  1798 ; 
and  she  afterwards  married  a  Mr.  Moore,  who  succeeded  Honeywood 
in  the  practice  of  law,  and  also  became  the  editor  of  his  poems.*  She 

*  See  Honeywood's  Poems,  New  York,  1801,  Preface. 


APPENDIX    F.  201 

took  great  interest  in  her  nephew,  William  Robinson  Jr.  I  recollect 
her  last  visit  at  Southington  in  1802  or  1803,  while  he  was  in  col- 
lege ;  when  she  gave  him  a  copy  of  her  former  husband's  poems,  and 
also  a  sketch  from  his  pencil,  representing  soldiers  resting,  and  drink- 
ing from  a  wooden  bottle. — Being  again  left  a  widow,  she  married  as 
her  third  husband  a  Mr.  Campbell,  who  resided  at  Augusta  in  Can- 
ada West.  After  his  decease,  she  visited  her  friends  in  Salem ;  and 
was  for  some  time  the  guest  of  the  family,  who  then  occupied  the 
house  in  which  she  had  formerly  lived  with  Mr.  Honeywood.  She 
afterwards  returned  to  Brockville,  in  Canada  West;  and  died  there 
about  twenty  years  ago.* — It  is  singular,  that  no  record  has  yet  been 
found  of  her  birth,  baptism,  or  first  marriage ;  though  she  is  still  re- 
membered in  Westfield.  She  was  several  years  younger  than  her 
sister.  Mrs.  Robinson ;  but  could  not  well  have  been  the  youngest 
of  the  family ;  as,  in  that  case,  she  must  have  been  married  before 
the  age  of  fourteen.  But  the  only  place  where  her  name  can  be  in- 
serted, is  just  here,  in  the  interval  of  three  years,  between  the  births 
of  her  sisters  Olive  and  Sarah.  And  this  is  confirmed  by  the  testi- 
mony of  aged  persons  in  Salem,  who  remember  her  as  a  neighbour, 
and  knew  her  age  as  compared  with  their  own.  She  was  doubtless 
born  in  the  latter  part  of  1766.f 

Sarah,  born  March  30,  1768. 

John,  baptized  January  7, 1770  ;  married  Louisa  Dewey  in  1794 ; 
and  died  in  1799,  in  consequence  of  a  wound  in  his  hand  from  a  sickle. 
„_  Harrison,  baptized  May  3, 1772  ;  married  Esther  Waller  in  1796. 

Lucy,  baptized  October  10,  1773 ;  married  a  Mr.  Smith. 

I  am  indebted,  for  most  of  the  preceding  information,  to  the 
kindness  of  the  Rev.  Emerson  Davis  D.  D.  of  Westfield. 


F. 

THE  MILLS  FAMILY. 
Page  102. 

The  founder  of  one  of  the  families  of  Mills  in  this  country  was 
PETER.  MILLS  ;  who,  according  to  tradition,  came  over  from  Holland 
under  the  name  of  Van  Molen,  which  was  translated  or  changed  into 

*  MS.  Letters  of  D.  Russell,  Esq.  and  Rev.  A.  B.  Lambert  D.  D.  dated  August 
17,  1858,  and  January  1,  1859.  t  Ibid- 


202  APPENDIX   F. 

Mills.  He  was  a  tailor  by  trade ;  and  resided  in  the  eastern  part  of 
what  is  now  Bloomfield,  then  belonging  to  Windsor,  Conn.  He  was 
born  in  1666,  and  died  in  1754,  aged  eighty-eight  years.  He  had  a 
family  of  seven  sons  ;  of  whom  the  Rev.  Gideon  Mills  of  Simsbury, 
more  fully  mentioned  below,  is  said  to  have  been  the  seventh.  The 
following  is  all  that  is  known  of  the  other  children.  The  order  of 
their  birth  is  not  certain. 

RETURN  is  said  to  have  died  in  1689. 

PELATIAH,  born  1693,  was  an  able  lawyer,  the  ancestor  of  the 
Mills  family  now  remaining  in  Bloomfield  and  Windsor. 

REV.  JEDIDIAH  MILLS,  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1722  ;  was 
ordained  in  1724  as  pastor  of  the  church  in  Ripton,  now  Hunting- 
ton,  Conn,  where  he  died  in  1776.  The  Mills  family  in  the  counties 
of  Fairfield  and  New  Haven  are  descended  from  him. 

JOHN,  son  of  Peter  Mills,  was  a  farmer  in  Kent.  He  married 
Jane  Lewis  of  Stratford  or  Huntington.  He  was  drowned  at  Bull's 
Falls  in  the  Housatonic,  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years.  His  widow 
married  the  Rev.  Philemon  Robbins  of  Branford,  who  died  August 
13,  1781  ;*  she  then  returned  to  her  old  homestead  in  Kent,  where  she 
died  at  the  age  of  eighty-five  years.  John  Mills  left  eight  children, 
five  sons  and  three  daughters,  viz.  John,  who  died  leaving  no  family. 
Peter  and  Lewis,  farmers  in  Kent,  with  families.  Rev.  Samuel  John 
Mills  of  Torringford,t  and  Eev.  Edmund  Mitts  of  Button,  Mass. 
Daughters :  Sarah,  was  the  first  wife  of  Rev.  Jeremiah  Day  of  New 
Preston,  Conn,  father  of  Pres.  Day  of  Yale  College ;  she  died  sud- 
denly in  August,  1767.  Lydia  married  Jonathan  Fuller,  a  large 
farmer  in  Kent.  Jane,  married  Rev.  Joel  Bordwell  of  Kent,|  in 
1759 ;  he  had  been  ordained  the  preceding  year,  Oct  28,  1758.  He 
died  December  6,  1811,  in  the  eightieth  year  of  his  age  and  fifty- 
fourth  of  his  ministry.  She  died  May  20,  1829,  aged  eighty-four 
years.  She  is  remembered  as  a  woman  of  great  strength  of  mind 
and  character.^ 

PETER,  son  of  Peter  Mills,  is  not  further  known.  His  descend- 
ants are  in  various  parts  of  the  country ;  some  in  Canton,  Conn. 

REV.  EBEXEZER  MILLS,  son  of  Peter,  graduated  at  Yale  College 
in  1738 ;  and  was  pastor  for  many  years  of  the  church  in  Turkey 
Hills,  Granby,  Conn.  He  died  in  1799. 

*  See  Sprague's  Annals,  I.  pp.  367-3G9. 
•f-  Ibid.  I.  pp.  672  sq.  J  Ibid.  p.  672.  n. 

§  For  most  of  the  information  in  this  paragraph,  I  am  indebted  to  the  kindness 
of  Mills  Bordwel!,  Esq.  of  Kent. 


THE  MILLS  FAMILY. 


203 


REV.  GIDEON  MILLS,  said  to  have  been  the  seventh  son  of  Peter 
Mills,  was  born  at  Windsor,  Aug.  15,  1715.  He  fitted  for  Yale 
College  with  his  elder  brother,  the  Rev.  Jedidiah  Mills  of  Ripton, 
and  graduated  in  1737.  He  settled  as  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Simsbury,  September  5,  1744 ;  and  resigned  his  charge,  for  want  of 
adequate  support,  August,  1754.  He  then  removed  to  West  Sims- 
bury  (now  Canton) ;  and  after  preaching  there  a  few  years,  was  in- 
stalled as  pastor,  February  18,  1761.*  He  there  lived  and  died  on 
his  own  farm,  situated  two  and  a  half  miles  from  the  meet  ing- 
house,  to  which  he  was  obliged  to  travel  over  a  very  rough  road. 
He  seems  to  have  been  a  man  of  considerable  energy  of  character  ; 
and  was  a  great  lover  of  church  music ;  a  taste  which  he  cultivated, 
and  for  which  he  is  particularly  remembered.  Mr:  Hallock  once 
said,  "  he  died  singing  the  thirty-eighth  Psalm."  f  The  truth  is,  he 
called  for  the  singing  of  it,  and  attempted  to  join  with  those  who 
complied  with  the  request ;  but  his  voice  failed,  and  when  the  first 
part  of  the  Psalm  had  been  sung,  he  expired.  He  died  of  a  cancer  in 
his  face,  August  4,  1772,  a  few  days  before  completing  his  fifty- 
seventh  year.  He  is  remembered  as  a  man  of  "  simplicity  and  godly 
sincerity."  His  wife  was  Elisabeth  Higley,  daughter  of  Brewster 
Higley  of  Simsbury.  She  spent  most  of  her  early  days  in  the 
family  of  her  cousin,  the  first  Gov.  Trumbull  of  Lebanon.  She  was 
born  in  1723,  and  died  in  1774.  They  had  six  children,  viz. 

Gideon,  born  in  1749 ;  married  Ruth,  third  daughter  of  Oliver 
Humphrey,  Esq.  He  resided  on  the  farm  left  by  his  father  until 
1800  ;  and  then  removed  to  Barkhamstead,  where  he  spent  the  rest 
of  his  days.  He  died  in  1813. 

Eev.  Samuel  Mills,  born  in  1751,  graduated  at  Yale  College  in 
1776.  His  purpose  was  to  enter  the  ministry  without  delay  ;  but  he 
joined  the  American  army  soon  after  graduating,  as  a  lieutenant  of 
cavalry  ;  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner  in  the  autumn  of  1777  ; 
and  was  afterwards  conveyed  to  Philadelphia.  He  there  fell  under 
the  care  of  Miss  Sarah  Gilpin,  one  of  the  volunteer  nurses  of  the 
wounded,  a  lady  of  refinement  and  accomplishments.  He  sub- 
sequently married  her  ;  and,  entering  the  ministry,  was  settled  over 

*  For  most  of  these  dates  I  am  indebted  to  Dr.  Sprague's  Annals,  II.  p.  229, 
note.  He  doubtless  obtained  them  from  the  Discourse  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Mills, 
preached  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  Strong,  then  of  Salmon  Brook,  Cranby ;  which  was 
published. 

f  "Amidst  thy  wrath  remember  love,"  etc. —  Waits. 


204  APPENDIX   F. 

the  church  and  society  of  Chester,  Conn,  then  a  parish  in  Saybrook. 
They  had  eight  children.  She  died  in  1796.  He  married,  as  his 
second  wife,  in  1798,  Rebecca  Belden,  daughter  of  Col.  Jonathan 
Belden  of  Wethersfield.  By  her  he  had  one  child,  a  son,  born  in 
1800.  She  died  in  1801.  He  married  a  third  wife ;  who  survived 
him  only  a  few  days.  He  died  hi  1814,  of  typhus  fever;  as  did  also 
his  wife.  A  son  of  his,  the  Rev  Samuel  Thomas  Mills,  graduated 
at  Yale  College  in  1807;  was  employed  as  a  tutor  in  the  family  of 
Isaac  Bronson,  Esq.  and  was  afterwards  a  minister  in  several  places 
in  the  West.  He  died  in  New  York  in  1853. 

Elisabeth,  born  in  1753 ;  married  first  Gideon  Curtis ;  and 
afterwards  the  Rev.  Rufus  Hawley  of  Northington,  now  Avon,  Conn, 
as  his  second  wife.  She  died  in  1825. 

Jedidiah,  born  February  9,  1756 ;  married  Sarah  Andrews. 
They  had  twelve  children,  six  sons  and  six  daughters.  He  resided 
in  West  Hartford ;  and  was  a  respected  and  intelligent  farmer,  and 
a  deacon  of  the  church.  He  died  March  24,  1832,  aged  seventy-six 
years.  Living  on  the  great  road  between  Farmington  and  Hartford, 
my  father,  in  his  frequent  visits  to  Hartford,  was  accustomed  often 
to  call  on  his  brother-in-law ;  and  the  intercourse  of  the  families  was 
kept  up  during  his  life. 

ANNE,  born  June  11,  1761 ;  married  the  Rev.  William  Robinson, 
August  13,  1787 ;  died  July  10,  1789. 

Faith,  born  in  1765,  was  first  the  wife  of  Roswell  Spencer  ;  and 
afterwards  of  Eber  Alford,  a  farmer  of  Canton.  She  died  in  1850. 

Most  of  the  preceding  information  has  been  kindly  procured  for 
me  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  T.  Richards  of  Simsbury.  It  is  drawn 
mainly  from  a  compilation  of  "  Genealogical  Sketches  of  the  early 
settlers  of  West  Simsbury,  now  Canton,"  made  a  few  years  since  by 
Abiel  Brown,  Esq.  of  that  place,  since  deceased.  For  a  copy  of  this 
pamphlet,  which  was  printed  in  1856  for  private  distribution,  I  am 
indebted  to  the  kindness  of  John  0.  Pettibone,  Esq.  of  Simsbury. 

NOTE.  Another  and  more  numerous  family  of  Mills,  among  the 
early  settlers  of  West  Simsbury,  was  of  English  descent.  Their 
common  ancestor  was  Simon  Mills,  who  resided  in  Windsor  before 
1669. 


APPENDIX    G. 


205 


a. 

WEALTHY  MINISTERS  IN  CONNECTICUT. 
Page  106. 

The  following  list  of  "  Wealthy  Ministers  in  Connecticut"  in 
1790,  is  given  by  the  Kev.  Pres.  Stiles  in  his  manuscript  Itinerary, 
Vol.  V.  p.  190.  A.  D.  1790. 


Rev.  Mr.  A  very, 
Taylor, 
Rexford, 
Bellamy, 
Brinsmead, 
Bordwell,  W. 
Gould, 
Chase, 
Robbins, 

Stamford. 
New  Milford, 
Huntingdon. 
Bethlem, 
Judea, 
Kent. 
Cornwall, 
Litchfield  So. 
Norfolk. 

£300. 

£1800. 
£3500. 

£3000. 

Edwards,        New  Haven,. 


Genesee  Lands, 
30  M.  acres,  cost 
£90  or  £100. 


Foot,               Cheshire. 
Robinson,        Southington, 
Smalley,          New  Britain, 
Pitkin,       W.  Farmington, 
Prudden,        Enfield. 

150  head  cattle. 
150         do. 
£3000. 

Bray,         W.  Cohabit. 
Channing,  W.  New  London. 
Strong,  Coventry. 

*  Lockwood,      Andover,  £2500. 
Colton,           Bolton. 

*  Hart,  Preston,  £1500. 
Strong,  TF//e,Hartford. 

Marsh,     do.   Wethersfield. 
Perry,      do.   Judea. 

"*  Opulent. 

"  No  really  indigent  Minister  in  the  State.  They  each  half  support 
themselves.  Not  one  supported  by  his  salary  or  people.  Only  four  really 
poor  and  suffering,  out  of  say  one  hundred  and  seventy  Ministers." 

NOTE.  The  letter  W.  following  some  of  the  names,  seems  to  indi- 
cate that  the  wealth  belonged  to  the  Wife.— Of  course,  the  amount 
of  property  specified  in  each  case  rests  only  on  conjecture,  or  on  the 
current  rumour  of  the  day. — E.  R. 


206  APPENDIX    H. 

H. 

THE  NORTON  FAMILY  IN  FARMINGTON,  CONN. 

Page  106. 

JOHN  NORTON  was  the  founder  of  the  family  in  Farmington.  His 
name  first  appears  on  the  records  of  the  town  of  Branford,  among  the 
earliest  recorded  acts  of  the  proprietors,  July  7,  1646.  There  is 
reason  to  suppose,  that  he  was  among  that  portion  of  the  settlers  of 
Branford,  who  removed  from  Wethersfield  in  1644.  His  earlier 
history  and  origin  is  unknown.  In  1659  he  is  said  to  have  removed  to 
Hartford.  He  came  to  Farmington ;  and  united  with  the  church  there 
in  1661.*  His  name  appears  in  the  list  of  freemen  in  1669  ;  and  also 
among  the  "  eighty-four  proprietors"  of  Farmington  in  16T2.f  His 
house-lot  was  between  the  houses  of  the  late  Seth  Lewis  and  John 
North.J  He  died  in  1711.  His  wife  was  a  sister  of  John  Clark. 
They  had  five  children :  Hannah,  born  1649 ;  married  Samuel 
North  in  1666.  Dorothy,  born  1651,  John,  born  1653  ;  see  below. 
Samuel,  born  1659  ;  died  the  same  year.  Thomas,  born  1660 ;  mar- 
ried Hannah  Rose. 

The  following  entries  in  the  early  records  of  the  church  in  Farm- 
ington, as  kept  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Hooker,  second  pastor  of  the 
church,  confirm  most  of  the  above  dates.  They  occur  under  the 
head  of  "  Births  and  Baptisms."  § 

"  John  Norton  joined  to  our  church  in  October,  1661. 

':  Hannah  Norton,  daughter  of  John  Norton,  aged  about  twelve, 
baptized  here  immediately  after  her  father  joining,  above  mentioned. 

"  Dorothy  Norton,  daughter  of  John  Norton,  aged  about  ten,  was 
baptized  at  the  same  time. 

"  John  Norton,  aged  about  eight  years,  was  baptized  at  the  same 
time. 

"  Thomas  Norton,  son  of  John  Norton,  aged  about  thirteen 
months,  was  baptized  at  the  same  time." 

JOHN  NORTON,  the  second,  a  son  of  the  above,  was  born  in  1653  ; 
died  in  1725.  He  married  Ruth,  daughter  of  Deac.  Isaac  Moore,  a 
wealthy  farmer.  They  had  ten  children  :  Ruth,  married  Thomas 

*  Church  Records. 

•f-  See  Prof.  Porter's  Historical  Discourse  on  Farmington,  pp.  63,  64. 

\  Chart  of  Mr.  Porter. 

§  Communicated  by  the  Rev.  Noah  Porter  D.  D.  the  present  pastor. 


THE  NORTON  FAMILY.  207 

Seymour  of  Hartford  in  1700.  Isaac,  born  1680,  married  Elisa- 
beth Galpin  of  Stratford  in  1707  ;  died  17G3.  He  was  a  merchant 
in  Worthington.  Elisabeth,  married  Thomas  Catlin  of  Hartford  in 
1703.  John,  born  1684 ;  married  Anna,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Thompson ;  died  1750.  Mary,  born  1686.  married  Joseph  Bird, 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Litchfield.  Sarah,  born  1689  ;  married 
Samuel  Newell,  father  of  Rev.  Isaac  Newell  and  of  Rev.  Samuel 
Newell  of  Bristol.  Hannah,  born  1692,  married  John  Pratt  of 
Hartford  in  1713.  Dorcas,  married  Solomon  Rothwood  of  Hadley. 
Thomas,  born  1697,  died  1760  ;  see  the  next  paragraph.  Ebenezer, 
married  Sarah  Savage  of  Middletown  ;  removed  to  Kensington.  He 
was  living  in  Southington  in  1737,  and  in  Bristol  in  1744. 

THOMAS  NORTON,  third  son  and  ninth  child  of  the  preceding,  born 
in  1697,  lived  on  his  father's  place,  and  was  twice  married.  He  died 
in  1760.  He  had  eight  children,  viz. 

Ruth,  born  1726,  married  Noah  Stanley  of  New  Britain  in  1750. 
Sarah,  born  1727,  married  Phineas  Lewis  in  1746,  the  father  of 
Elijah,  Phiueas,  and  Seth  Lewis.     She  died  in  1808. 

Elisabeth,  born  1730,  married  Deacon  Samuel  Woodruff,  and 
died  in  1798. 

Eev.  Seth  Norton,  born  1731 ;  graduated  at  Yale  College  in 
1751 ;  received  the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  both  Yale  and  Harvard ; 
was  settled  as  pastor  in  Ellington  in  1760  ;  and  died  in  1762. — He 
had  two  children  :  Seth,  died  at  or  near  New  York  in  the  army, 
during  the  Revolution.  Reuben,  born  1760  ;  married  Livia  Mather, 
by  whom  he  had  five  children.  He  was  a  merchant  in  Farmington, 
and  died  in  1808. 

Ichabod,  born  1736  ;  see  below. 

Lot,  born  1738,  removed  to  Salisbury.  He  had  two  children : 
Lot,  who  lived  on  his  father's  place  at  Salisbury,  and  was  a  member 
of  the  legislature.  Sarah,  who  married  the  Rev.  John  Elliott  of 
East  Guilford,  now  Madison,  Conn.  She  died  without  issue. — Lot 
Norton  the  second  had  three  children  :  Cornelia,  who  married 
Judge  James  Dean  of  Utica ;  Henry,  who  resides  in  New  Haven  ; 
and  Lot,  who  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1822,  and  lives  on  the 
homestead  in  Salisbury. 

Thomas,  born  1740  ;  married  Sarah  Marsh  in  1760.  They  had 
two  children,  which  died  in  infancy. 

Jemima,  born  1744  ;  married  Sylvanus  Curtiss  in  1762 ;  died  in 
1828. 


208  APPENDIX    H. 

NOTE.  The  preceding  information  has  mostly  been  collected  by 
Lewis  M.  Norton,  Esq.  of  Goshen,  Conn.  From  him  it  has  come  to 
me  through  a  copy  by  another  hand.  In  respect  to  what  follows, 
the  sources  are  nearer ;  and  several  things  are  given  from  my  own 
personal  recollections. 

COL.  ICHABOD  NORTON  was  the  second  son  of  Thomas 
Norton,  as  above.  He  was  born  in  1736.  He  married  Ruth  Strong, 
Feb.  21,  17GO,  daughter  of  Asahel  Strong,  Esq.  who  came  from 
Northampton  to  Farniington.  She  was  born  in  1740 ;  and  was  a 
sister  of  the  Rev.  Cyprian  Strong  D.  D.  of  Chatham.  She  died  at 
West  Hartford,  July  16,  1823,  aged  about  eighty-four  years.  A 
younger  sister  married  Deacon  Martin  Bull  of  Farmington. 

Ichabod  Norton  succeeded  to  his  father's  property  at  "Third 
Meadow,"  so  called,  within  the  limits  of  Northington,  and  lying  on 
both  sides  of  Farmington  river,  about  three  miles  north  of  the  meet- 
ing-house of  Farmington.  Hither  he  removed  in  1759,  and  here  he 
spent  most  of  his  life ;  but  always  regarded  himself  as  belonging  to 
the  Society  of  Farmington.  In  the  earlier  years  of  the  Revolution, 
he  commanded  a  company  of  militia  in  service.  In  1776,  for  four 
months,  from  August  to  November,  he  was  stationed  at  Skenesbor- 
ough  (now  Whitehall)  and  Ticonderoga ;  and  his  orderly  book  for 
that  period  is  still  extant.  In  1777  he  was  also  in  service  at  Peeks- 
kill,  as  Captain,  in  the  regiment  of  militia  commanded  by  Col.  Noa- 
diah  Hooker,  his  wife's  cousin,  attached  to  the  brigade  of  Gen.  Wol- 
cott.  In  1779,  his  name  appears  also  as  Major,  in  service  from  April 
to  November.*  By  his  activity  and  personal  example,  he  exerted 
great  influence  upon  his  fellow  townsmen  in  behalf  of  the  American 
cause.  In  1779  he  represented  the  town  of  Farmington  in  the  legis- 
lature of  the  State  during  the  May  session  ;  and  was  also  a  represent- 
ative in  every  year  but  one  from  1785  to  1791.  For  many  years 
afterwards  he  acted  as  a  justice  of  the  peace ;  and  was  ever  an  in- 
telligent and  upright  magistrate.  He  was  a  man  of  great  activity 
and  cheerfulness ;  and  looked  at  every  thing  upon  the  bright  side.  In 
the  later  years  of  his  life,  he  lost  his  property ;  and  resided  for  a 
time  at  West  Hartford,  where  bis  wife  died  ;  afterwards  at  Granby 
(Salmon  Brook),  where  he  died,  October  1,  1825,  aged  about  eighty- 
eight  years. — Col.  Norton  had  nine  children ;  all  of  whom  grew  up 

*  See  entries  in  the  manuscript  volume  entitled  "  Hask ell's  Receipts,"  in  the 
Comptroller's  office  at  Hartford ;  pp.  3,  9,  77. 


THE  NORTON  FAMILY.  209 

to  adult  years,  and  all  except  one  were  married.     The  following  is 
the  order  of  tlieir  birth  : 

Eus.MiETir,  born  January  13,  1761 ;  married  the  Kev.  William 
Robinson,  August  10,  1790 ;  died  December  20,  1824,  aged  sixty- 
three  years  eleven  months.  She  had  six  children;  see  above  in  Sect. 
VII. 

NAXCY,  born  May  26,  1763;  married  in  1790  Col.  Charles 
McKinstry  of  Hillsdale,  N.  Y.  as  his  second  wife ;  and  died  May  24. 
1798,  aged  thirty-five  years.  She  had  two  sons  and  three  daughters  ; 
of  whom  the  sons  and  youngest  daughter  died  in  infancy.  The  sur- 
viving daughters  were :  Melinda,  born  June  12,  1794 ;  married 
Henry  Loop,  Esq.  of  Great  Barrington,  now  residing  at  Hempstead 
on  Long  Island.  Nancy,  born  July  28,  1796;  married  Judge 
Bowen  Whiting  of  Geneva,  N.  Y.  and  died  July  24,  1847,  aged  fifty- 
one  years. 

REV.  ASAIIEL  STRONG  NORTON-,*  born  September  20,  1765  ;  grad- 
uated at  Yale  College  in  1790  ;  ordained  as  pastor  at  Clinton,  Oneida 
Co.  N.  Y.  in  September  1793  ;  married  Mary  Clap  Pitkin,  daughter  of 
the  Rev.  Timothy  Pitkin,  January  19,  1795  ;  received  the  degree  of 
D.  D.  from  Union  College  in  1815  ;  was  dismissed  at  his  own  request. 
November  1833  ;  and  died  May  10,  1853,  aged  eighty-seven  years. 
His  wife  died  September  11,  1839,  aged  sixty-nine  years.  They  had 
eight  children  as  follows  :  filbert,  born  December  4,  1795  ;  married 
Sarah  Marvin,  May  27,  1828;  resided  at  Syracuse.  N.  Y.  and  died 
childless,  May  30,  1835.  Emily,  born  January  20,  1798  ;  mar- 
ried Lothrop  Brockway  of  Clinton,  February  7,  1832  ;  and  has  one 
son.  Mary,  born  May  9,  1800;  died  October  9,  1803.  Robert, 
born  February  8,  1802  ;  not  married  ;  resides  in  New  York.  Sarah. 
born  June  29,  1804;  married  Enos  Pomeroy  of  Rochester,  January 
28,1823;  has  had  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Henry  Pitkin, 
born  June  3, 1807 ;  married  in  June,  1833 ;  is  a  lawyer  at  Brockport. 
N.  Y.  Mary  Ann,  born  September  27,  1809;  died  May  7,  1831. 
John,  born  March  15,  1811 ;  married  Elisabeth  J.  Root,  September 
27,  1836 ;  has  four  children ;  resides  on  his  father's  homestead  in 
Clinton. 

ROMANIA,  born  April  3,  1768  ;  died  in  1840.  He  first  married, 
in  the  spring  of  1791,  Belinda,  daughter  of  Deac.  Noah  Porter  of 
Farmington,  and  sister  of  the  Rev.  Noah  Porter  D.  D.  She  was 

*  See  a  Memoir  of  Rev.  Dr.  Norton  in  Sprngue's  Annals,  II.  p.  332. 

14 


210  APPENDIX    H. 

born  September  7,  1770;  and  died  February  22,  1792,  in  childbirth. 
Her  son,  Ichabod  Porter  Norton,  born  February  22,  1792,  was 
brought  up  in  the  family  of  his  grandfather  Norton  ,•  was  clerk  in  the 
store  of  Nathaniel  Patten  of  Hartford;  and  had  just  commenced 
business  as  a  merchant  in  Farmington,  when  he  was  cut  off  by  death, 
March  13,  1813,  aged  twenty-one  years. — The  second  wife  of  Ro- 
manta  Norton  was  Dorothy,  daughter  of  Gov.  John  Treadwell,  who 
still  survives.  By  her  he  had  one  son,  John  Treadwell  Norton,  born 
April  28,  1795 ;  who  now  resides  in  Farmington  on  the  homestead  of 
Gov.  Treadwell.  His  first  wife  was  Mary  Hubbard  Pitkin,  daughter 
of  the  Hon.  Timothy  Pitkin  of  Farmington;  born  March  1,  1802; 
married  August  29,  1821 ;  died  September  21,  1829.  She  had  five 
children  :  three  daughters  died  young  ;  one  son,  John  Pitkin  Norton, 
Professor  in  Yale  College,  died  September  5,  1852,  aged  thirty  years  ; 
and  another,  Edward  Norton,  is  still  living.  The  second  wife  of 
J.  T.  Norton  was  Elisabeth  Cogswell,  daughter  of  Doct.  Mason  F. 
Cogswell  of  Hartford;  born  May  14,  1803;  married  February  1, 
1832;  and  has  one  son,  Charles  Ledyard  Norton. 

RUTH  STRONG,  born  August  13,  1770 ;  married  Dr.  Mark  Hop- 
kins of  Clinton,  Oneida  Co.  N.  Y.  January  8,  1797  ;  and  died  Sep- 
tember 30,  1800,  aged  thirty  years.  She  left  on3  daughter,  Cornelia, 
born  September  20, 1797 ;  who  married  Dr.  Moses  Bristoll  of  Buffalo ; 
and  died  August  4,  1823,  aged  twenty-six  years.  She  left  one 
daughter,  since  deceased. 

THOMAS,  born  December  31,  1773,  was  in  early  life  a  goldsmith 
in  Farmington.  He  married,  April  6,  1806,  Mrs.  Mary  Bigelow, 
widow  of  Dr.  Aaron  Bigelow  of  Granville,  Mass.  They  lived  for 
many  years  in  Clinton,  Oneida  Co.  N.  Y.  and  in  1823  removed  to 
Morrisville,  Madison  Co.  In  1827  they,  again  removed  to  Albion, 
Orleans  Co.  where  he  died  of  consumption,  December  14,  1834,  aged 
nearly  sixty-one  years.  His  wife  died  at  Morrisville  in  February, 
1841,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  They  had  three  children^  all 
now  residing  in  Morrisviile.  viz.  Margaret,  born  February  11,  1807. 
James,  born  December  5,  1811 ;  by  trade  a  printer;  married  in  1855. 
Edward,  born  November  2,  1817;  by  trade  a  printer;  married  in 
1843 ;  became  a  widower  in  1852  ;  married  again  in  1855  ;  has  four 
children. 

AMNA,  or,  as  she  was  usually  called,  MARIAMNE,  born  November 
24,  1776,  remained  at  home,  and  followed  the  fortunes  of  her  younger 
brother  George  during  his  life.  She  afterwards  lived  with  his  son, 


APPENDIX    K.  211 

Seth  Norton,  at  Collinsville ;  where  she  died  August  12,  1853,  aged 
seventy-six  years.  She  was  a  woman  of  quick  intelligence  and  exten- 
sive reading. 

SETH,  born  February  12,  1780;  graduated  at  Yale  College  in 
1804;  became  Tutor  there  in  1807,  for  one  year.  He  had  already 
been  Principal  of  Oncida  Academy  at  Clinton  ;  and  now  returned  to 
that  situation;  which  he  held  till  1812,  when  the  institution  received 
a  charter  as  Hamilton  College.  He  was  elected,  in  1812,  as  the  first 
Professor  of  Languages ;  and  during  the  first  winter,  was  the  sole 
instructor  of  the  then  three  classes,  hearing  regularly  nine  recitations 
daily.  He  was  distinguished  as  an  accurate  classical  scholar,  and 
was  a  very  successful  teacher.  He  married  later  Amanda  Kellogg 
of  New  Hartford,  N.  Y.  by  whom  he  had  one  daughter,  Charlotte. 
He  died  December  7, 1818,  in  the  thirty-ninth  year  of  his  age.  His 
widow  died  iu  June,  1844.  Their  daughter  married  a  Mr.  Kilbourn 
of  Paris,  N.  Y.  and  is  since  deceased. 

GEORGE,  born  November  15,  1782,  lived  with  his  father,  at  first 
labouring  as  a  farmer  in  summer,  and  teaching  school  in  winter.  Not 
long  after  1800,  his  father's  farm  came  under  mortgage ;  and  was 
ultimately  sold.  He  then  removed  with  his  parents  and  sister  to 
West  Hartford  for  a  time ;  then  to  Granby ;  and  again  to  Avon, 
where  he  died  May  11,  1833,  aged  fifty  years.  He  married  Eliza 
Frisbie  in  1820 ;  by  whom  he  had  two  children  :  Seth,  residing  in 
Collinsville ;  has  been  twice  married.  Mary,  wife  of  Ebenezer 
G.  Curtiss  of  Siinsbury. — George  Norton  was  a  man  of.  fine  powers 
of  mind,  and  of  a  kind  and  genial  disposition.  He  represented  the 
town  of  Farmington  for  several  years  in  the  legislature ;  and  was  also 
a  magistrate. 

K. 

THE  STRONG  AND  HOOKER  FAMILIES. 
Page  106. 

These  families  became  connected  by  intermarriage,  first  with 
each  other,  and  then  with  the  Norton  family. 
I.  The  Strong  Family. 

The  founder  of  the  family  in  this  country  was  Elder  JOHN 
STRONG,  a  son  of  Richard  Strong,  bora  in  England  near  Taunton,  in 


212  APPENDIX    K. 

1607.  He  sailed  from  Plymouth,  England,  March  30,  1630,  in  the 
company  of  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Maverick  and  Warham;  arrived  May 
30th,  and  settled  down  at  Dorchester.  His  wife  and  infant  son  soon 
died.  He  married  Abigail  Ford  at  Dorchester,  in  1630 ;  and  by  her 
had  sixteen  children.  He  lived  at  Hingham  in  1635 ;  at  Taunton 
in  1G38  ;  afterwards  at  Windsor,  Conn,  and  removed  to  Northampton 
in  1659.  Here  he  died,  April  14, 1699,  aged  ninety-two  years.  The 
names  of  his  eight  sons  were  :  John,  Return,  Thomas,  Jedidiali, 
Ebenezer,  Samuel,  Josiah,  Jerijah. 

THOMAS  STRONG,  of  Northampton,  third  son  of  Elder  John  Strong, 
died  October  3,  1689.  He  married,  first,  Mary  Huit,  daughter  of 
the  Rev.  Ephraim  Huit  of  "Windsor,  December  5,  1660.*  By  her 
he  had  five  children  ;  of  whom  the  youngest  was  Asahel.  She  died 
February  20,  1671.  His  second  wife  was  Rachel  Holton,  whom  he 
married  in  1671 ;  by  whom  he  had  ten  or  eleven  children.  Of  his 
fifteen  or  sixteen  children,  all  but  one  were  living  at  his  decease  in 
1689. 

ASAHEL  STRONG  of  Northampton,  son  of  Thomas,  and  the  young- 
est of  Mary  Huit's  five  children,  was  born  Nov.  14,  1668.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  Hart  of  Farmington,  Conn,  in  1689.  They  had  six  chil- 
dren :  Margaret ;  Mary,  married  Daniel  Lewis  ;  Elisabeth  ;  Lois  ; 
Asahel ;  Col.  John,  born  1705,  died  1777  or  1779,  a  prominent  man. 

ASAHEL  STRONG,  ESQ.  eldest  son  of  the  preceding,  was  born  in 
1702 ;  removed  to  Farmington,  where  he  married  Ruth  Hooker, 
daughter  of  the  Hon.  John  Hooker,  and  died  in  1751,  aged  forty- 
nine  years.  That  his  mother,  Mary  Hart,  was  a  native  of  Farming- 
ton,  may  have  led  to  his  residence  there ;  but  the  date  of  his  removal 
does  not  appear.  The  title  Esquire  would  imply  that  he  was  a  man 
of  honourable  standing,  and  a  magistrate.  At  the  time  of  his  death 
in  1751,  the  ages  of  his  five  children  are  reported  as  follows :  Lois, 
fourteen  years ;  Huth,  eleven  years ;  Elnathan,  nine  years ;  Cyp- 
rian, seven  years  ;  Elisabeth,  four  years.  More  fully  as  follows  : 

*  The  Rev.  Ephraim  Huit  (or  Hewit)  came  from  England  in  1G39  ;  arid  was 
settled  as  colleague  teacher  with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Warham  at  Windsor.  He  died 
Sept.  4,  1644.  He  is  said  to  have  heen  "  a  man  of  superior  talents  and  eminent 
usefulness."  The  following  is  his  quaint  epitaph,  in  the  old  burying-ground  of 
Windsor. 

"  Heere  lyeth  EPHRAIM  HUIT,  sometimes  Teacher  to  y°  Church  of  "Windsor,  who  dyed  Sep- 
tember 4lh,  1G44. 

"  Who  when  hee  lived,  we  drew  our  vital  breath  ; 
Who  when  hee  dyed,  his  dying  was  our  death  ; 
Who  was  y3  stay  of  state,  ye  churches  staff; 
Alas  the  times  forbid  an  epitaph." 
See  Spragne's  Annal?,  I.  p.  11.    Barbers  Conn.  Histor.  Collect,  pp.  127, 132. 


THE  STRONG  AND  HOOKER  FAMILIES.  213 

Lois,  born  about  1737  ;  married  Odiah  Pomeroy  of  Middletown. 

Huth,  born  in  1740;  married  Colonel  Ichabod  Norton,  as  above, 
p.  208. 

Elnathan,  born  in  1742  ;  removed  to  New  Windsor,  N.  T.  Late 
in  life  he  returned  to  Connecticut;  and  used  to  visit  at  Col.  Norton's, 
where  I  remember  to  have  met  him  several  times  in  my  childhood. 
He  died  at  Milford,  Conn,  without  children. 

Rev.  Cyprian  Strong  D.  D.  born  May  26,  1744 ;  graduated  at 
Yale  College  in  1763 ;  studied  theology,  and  was  settled  at  Chatham, 
now  Portland,  Conn.  August  19,  1767.  He  received  the  degree  of 
D.  D.  from  Dartmouth  College  in  1803;  and  died  in  1811.  He  was 
three  times  married;  first  to  Sarah  Bull  of  Farmington.  See 
Sprague's  Annals,  I.  p.  651  sq. 

Elisabeth,  born  in  1747,  married  Deac.  Martin  Bull  of  Farming- 
ton,  and  died  April  9,  1820,  aged  seventy-three  years.  She  had  one 
daughter,  Sophia,  who  married  the  Rev.  Amos  Bassett  D.  D.  of  He- 
bron, as  his  second  wife,  May  17,  1801.  Her  only  child,  Martin 
Bull  Bassett,  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1823. 

NOTE.  Another  line  of  descent  from  Elder  John  Strong,  viz. 
through  Ebenezer,  his  fifth  son,  includes  the  family  of  the  former 
Gov.  Caleb  Strong  of  Northampton,  the  great-grandson  of  Ebenezer. 

The  preceding  information  has  been  kindly  furnished  to  me  by 
the  Rev.  William  Allen  D.  D.  of  Northampton.  The  portion  re- 
lating to  Thomas  Strong  and  his  descendants  he  obtained  from 
Sylvester  Judd,  Esq.  of  the  same  place,  well  known  for  his  extensive 
researches  into  the  historical  and  genealogical  records  of  the  olden 
time. 

II.  The  Hooker  Family. 

The  REV.  THOMAS  HOOKER,  first  minister  of  Hartford,  Conn,  who 
came  over  from  England  in  1633,  appears  to  be  the  ancestor  of  most 
of  those  now  bearing  the  name  of  Hooker  in  this  country.  See  a 
memoir  of  him  in  Sprague's  Annals,  I.  p.  30-39.  — The  following  very 
brief  notices  relate  only  to  the  Hookers  of  Farmington ;  and  have 
been  kindly  furnished  to  me  by  Mr.  William  C.  Porter,  a  native  of 
that  place,  now  resident  in  New  Haven. 

REV.  THOMAS  HOOKER,  of  Hartford. 

REV.  SAMUEL  HOOKER,  second  son  and  sixth  child  of  the  pre- 
ceding, graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1653 ;  was  ordained  as  the 


214  APPENDIX    K. 

second  pastor  of  the  church  in  Farmington  in  July  1761  ;  and  died 
November  6,  1697.  See  Sprague's  Annals,  I.  p.  37. 

JOHN  HOOKER  of  Farmington,  a  son  of  Rev.  Samuel,  was  Judge 
of  the  Superior  Court,  and  Assistant.  He  resided  on  the  main 
street,  in  the  house  afterwards  occupied  by  his  grandson,  Maj.  Roger 
Hooker. — Of  his  eight  children,  the  following  may  be  named  here  : 

Hezekiah,  lived  at  Bethlem,  and  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Rev. 
Asahel  Hooker  and  the  Hookers  of  Vermont. 

John,  lived  as  a  farmer  in  Berlin  ;  and  was  the  father  of  the  Rev. 
John  Hooker  of  Northampton,  Mass.  See  Sprague's  Annals,  I.  p. 
504.  Other  descendants  still  remain  in  Berlin. 

Mary,  married  Samuel  Hart  of  Berlin,  the  ancestor  of  Mrs. 
Emma  Willard. 

Joseph,  was  the  father  of  Col.  Noadiah  Hooker  of  Farmington. 
The  latter  was  active  in  the  Revolution ;  and  was  a  leading  man  in 
the  town. 

Ruth,  married  Asahel  Strong,  Esq.  For  their  children,  see 
above,  pp.  212,  213.  Their  daughter,  Ruth,  married  Col.  Ichabod 
Norton. 

Roger,  lived  on  his  father's  homestead ;  and  had  seven  children, 
of  whom  we  may  notice  the  following :  Roger,  known  always  as  Major 
Hooker,  succeeded  to  the  homestead ;  and  was  in  the  army  of  the 
Revolution.  He  married  Mary  Treadwell,  sister  of  Gov.  Treadwell ; 
but  died  childless.  Lucina,  married  Col.  Isaac  Cowles  of  Farming- 
ton.  Cynthia,  married  the  Rev.  Allyn  Olcott,  Pastor  in  Farming- 
ton  and  afterwards  in  East  Hartford.  After  his  death  she  married 
a  Mr.  Alvord  of  Coventry. 

It  thus  appears,  that  the  wife  of  Col.  Ichabod  Norton  was  the 
first  cousin  of  Col.  Noadiah  Hooker,  and  also  of  Major  Roger  Hooker 
and  his  sisters  Mrs.  Cowles  and  Mrs.  Olcott.  Between  all  these 
families  there  was  a  strong  friendship ;  and  a  familiar  intercourse  was 
long  kept  up. 


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